• The Senate candidate said every ODM nominee must look for votes.
• Ojienda said candidates have to convince voters through their development agenda.
Image: MAURICE ALAL
ODM candidates have been urged to come out of their comfort zones and woo voters to support their bids in next month's election.
Kisumu ODM senator candidate Tom Ojienda said all hopefuls should traverse their respective constituencies, wards and counties to hunt for votes and not just sit pretty and bank on the six-piece voting pattern.
“We have to go out to voters and sell our ideologies and woo them as we help consolidate all votes behind Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga to win the presidency,” Ojienda said.
Speaking in Kisumu East subcounty on Saturday, he urged residents to support ODM nominees within the county in the forthcoming election.
He was accompanied by Kisumu East ODM candidate Nicholas Oricho, Kajulu MCA candidate Ben Adega and a host of ODM party officials.
“We largely work on voter turnout so that every person gets to vote. Our major concern is voter turnout,” Ojienda said.
"Raila needs your vote and I'm urging every resident of Kisumu county to turn up in large numbers early enough and vote for Raila and other ODM nominees.”
The Senate candidate said every ODM nominee must look for votes.
“I will be doing my vote hunt across the seven subcounties in Kisumu from Wednesday. We will have roadshows to campaign for Baba [Raila],” Ojienda said.
“Every nominee needs to do this because we are doing it for Raila. We need to use our resources to ensure that the voter turnout in Kisumu is at least 99 per cent.”
He said they will make arrangements for older people in society to be taken to polling stations.
“We will use boda bodas in all the subcounties to ferry people to polling stations. That is our plan. We will also have agents in every polling station so that the voter turnout hits our 99 or 100 per cent target,” he said.
In Kisumu, Ojienda said there are 616,000 voters who should be mobilised to ensure they all vote.
Some of the ODM nominees for various seats in the county have been conducting joint campaigns to ensure they are elected.
Ojienda also urged candidates and ODM supporters to embrace unity and peaceful campaigns during and after the general election.
"We should not let our differences divide us and spoil the votes towards the presidency," he said.
Ojienda said Raila is a transformative and reformist capable of bringing good governance that Kenyans have been yearning for many years.
He, however, urged politicians to put aside their differences and focus on Raila's bid.
"We should not allow our differences to affect our presidential sole goal. Raila's bid outweighs other ambitions. Let us remain steadfast and committed to our goal of winning the presidency," Ojienda said.
During the ceremony, Radio Namlolwe presenter Haron Wuod John, who spoke due to public demand, said the media plays a key role as a watchdog of society and urged politicians and their supporters to respect their work.
"We are here to inform, educate and entertain. Most importantly, we have to critique our leaders and government to live up to the pledges they make to the citizens," he said.