ODM is one of the most organised parties in Kenya. We should not read too much into the new changes but it is worth noting that the party has set the roadmap for the 2022 general election.
ODM is preparing to conduct elections right from the grassroots to the top. The new officials will have time to acquaint themselves with the party structures and members.
It will be grossly wrong if the party was to conduct an election when the national officials have no idea who the regional party officials are. The changes therefore will streamline the party's operations as we gear up for 2022.
From experience, there is danger in appointing a new team a few months to the election as they will be ignorant of party primaries and the national elections conducted by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
The new teams will have sufficient time to be inducted into how the party operations are managed and how to mobilise resources.
When I chaired the ODM election board, we had sufficient time to map out the country and were able to plan our logistics well.
We knew all the branch offices and the officials running those offices, which was an advantage when it came to printing of ballot papers and preparing the polling stations.
We also used to conduct mock elections in preparation for an election. The new team will conduct such and learn what challenges to expect.
The 2022 general election is still two years away, but the appointment of the new team will allow them to go through internal audit reports prepared after the 2017 elections and start to address some of the challenges identified.
Party nomination is a headache and clear structures have to be in place so the challenges arising from the competition can easily be resolved.
As we head to 2022, members will tend to violate the party constitution. The disciplinary committee will have time to address the cases.
The former ODM National Election Board chairman spoke to the Star
