- Voters only needed to show up with their National Identity Cards during the nomination exercise.
- Some voters said they will elect different aspirants other than those who have been issued with the direct ticket come August 9.
Image: JOSIAH ODANGA
Delays and gadgets failure marred ODM primaries in most polling stations in Siaya on Wednesday.
The exercise was done electronically and voters only needed to show up with their identity cards.
Delays were also witnessed at Jusa and Maingo primary schools in Bondo and Ugunja subcounties.
At Sagam polling centre, voting started at 8:50am although there were queues as early as 6am.
"The exercise started well and all the gadgets are working. The agents were present to witness the commencement," Fredrick Walo, the presiding officer at Sagam polling centre, said.
Walo said some of the party members could not find their names in the party register.
Sagam Primary school, like many others across the county, was accommodating three polling stations.
In other stations, the process was sluggish with one or two kits failing.
At Jina Primary School in Yala Township ward, voting was delayed and only one kit (of the three kits) was functional, to the disappointment of the people.
Paul Odhiambo, a resident, who had turned up at Jina Primary School to vote, said he had queued for four hours and nothing was going on.
"Let those who are destined to be rigged out go home. If someone has been given a direct ticket then let them not waste our time. We are tired of waiting to vote," Odhiambo said.
At Yala Township Primary School polling centre, John Odera, an MCA aspirant, cast his vote and said the process was fair and fast.
However, Odera said the turnout was very low and only two out of the three gadgets were working effectively.
At Anyiko Primary School in Township ward, the MiFi rooter failed and the clerks had to use a mobile phone to salvage the situation.
"Initially, we had delays due to network problem but we solved it," Vincent Otieno, the presiding officer at Anyiko Primary, said.
He also said party officials were not picking calls when they needed clarification on how to go about the matter.
Overall, party members got an opportunity to vote for leaders in the Women Representative, MCAs and National Assembly positions.
Joseph Oduho, who voted at Sagam polling centre, said democracy was on trial in ODM.
Oduho said he will elect different aspirants other than those who have been issued with the direct ticket come August 9.
However, Jepher Otieno, who voted at Sagam, said he was okay with the decision of the party to hand over a direct ticket to Senator James Orengo.
"It is already decided and we have no issue with that. We will go by what ODM has told us as long as we get someone who can work for us," Otieno said.
He said residents will have an opportunity with Orengo during public participation forums and tell him the development projects that they want.
He also lauded the party for introducing a paperless nomination.
Those in Bondo, Gem and Alego-Usonga also got an opportunity to nominate their respective members of the National Assembly.
Their counterparts in Rarieda, Ugenya and Ugunja were denied an opportunity to elect a leader of their own.
Media reports said the sitting Rarieda MP Otiende Amolo had been given a direct ticket.
For the Senate seat, Oburu Odinga was given the ticket, despite protests by his competitors Julius Okinda and Tony Yogo.
Some ODM members protested the move to deny them an opportunity to nominate a governor and senator.
(edited by Amol Awuor)