• Mbeya is one of the three Siaya governor hopefuls eyeing the ODM ticket for the August 9 general election.
• The others are Bella Akinyi and Siaya Senator James Orengo.
Image: Josiah Odanga
A Siaya governor hopeful on an Orange Democratic Movement has alleged that the party has excluded him from its operations ahead of ODM party nominations next week.
George Mbeya says that he was not invited to a consultation meeting in Nairobi on Thursday.
“I am surprised that my fellow aspirants are expected in Nairobi tonight. I am wondering whether I am one of those candidates because I have not received any communication from the organizer," Mbeya told the media on Thursday night.
Mbeya is one of the three Siaya governor hopefuls eyeing the ODM ticket for the August 9 general election.
The others are Bella Akinyi and Siaya Senator James Orengo.
Mbeya had been on the campaign trail in Rarieda sub-county the entire Thursday.
He said he found out later ODM aspirants had been summoned to Nairobi.
ODM party leader Raila Odinga convened the meeting with various aspirants at Royal Tulip hotel in Kilimani, Nairobi on Thursday.
A reliable source told the Star that Akinyi had been invited and was present at the meeting.
The Star could not immediately ascertain whether Orengo, the perceived favourite for the party’s direct ticket, was invited or whether or not he attended the meeting.
The talks in Nairobi touched on inclusivity, equity and consultation all aimed at guiding and anchoring the Azimio coalition party ahead of the August polls.
Raila's move to convene the meeting was a response to an internal storm by party leaders claiming they are marginalised.
Mbeya, however, claims that recent survey results are against the expectations of the party honchos, thus the party is hesitant to make a pronouncement on the Siaya governor seat.
“The survey results are not depicting what they thought it would, which is to have Orengo leading. I am sure the results indicate that I am leading the pack of three,” Mbeya said.
“There is something they are looking for which they are not getting,” he added.
The lawyer-cum-businessman maintains that he is prepared to meet all his competitors at the ballot on April 13.
But he is equally worried whether the nomination process will yield any fruit since the party is yet to contact them on how the nominations are to be conducted.
“I'm a main contestant but up to now, I am yet to receive any communication on the preparedness or otherwise on the nominations that are due next week. I am wondering whether I am a candidate or not,” Mbeya noted.
The ODM intends to use electronic voting method besides the physical ballot papers during the nominations.
But Mbeya says that the party is yet to communicate any remedy to system failure, just in case.
“We have had this issue of system failure with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and I can see our party is also going to be a victim because they have not shown us the backup plan,” he said.
The IEBC has gazetted 574 polling stations in Siaya county but ODM has proposed 149 for use during its party primaries next week.
Mbeya insists that ODM should not dodge from conducting credible polls.
He also wants the ODM to prepare for repercussions should it limit who to vote and who not to vote based on party membership list.
“We know of a polling station with over 1000 voters but a certain list is doing rounds that only 300 will vote. If that is what ODM wants then let Raila Odinga not ask for our votes on August 9,” he said.