•ODM is relying on a record three polls to award direct tickets to several aspirants seeking various seats.
•In a schedule shared by the National Elections Board, the party will only conduct primaries in three areas in Migori as the other seats get direct tickets.
Image: RAILA ODINGA FACEBOOK
Siaya governor aspirant James Orengo and Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o are among several allies of ODM boss Raila Odinga handed direct party tickets.
This is after the party resorted to issuing a direct ticket to several loyalists based on scientific opinion polls.
Bagging the ODM ticket, especially in Nyanza, has previously been seen as being too close to the prize.
ODM is relying on a record three polls to award direct tickets to several aspirants seeking various seats.
The party had earlier handed a direct ticket to Gladys Wanga for the Homa Bay governor seat and will now battle it out with Evans Kidero, an independent candidate.
Also saved from the primaries headache are East African Legislative Assembly MP Oburu Oginga, Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi and Rarieda MP Otiende Amolo.
Sam Atandi (Alego Usonga), Gideon Ochanda (Bondo), Elisha Odhiambo (Gem) and Christine Ombaka (Woman Representative) are the only incumbents in Siaya subjected to the ballot.
Orengo will square it with former Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo who is running on a joint UDM ticket with former police spokesperson Charles Owino.
In a schedule shared by the National Elections Board, the party will only conduct primaries in three areas in Migori as the other seats get direct tickets.
Nominations will only be conducted for the woman rep position, Ndhiwa and Karachuonyo parliamentary seats.
Senator Ochillo Ayacko, MPs Opondo Kaluma (Homabay town), Millie Odhiambo (Suba North), Lilian Gogo (Rangwe), Eve Obara (Kabondo Kasipul) and Ong’ondo Were (Kasipul) have all bagged direct tickets.
Senator Ochillo is seeking to succeed outgoing Governor Okoth Obado.
He will face former MPs John Pesa and Dalmas Otieno of DAP-K and Jubilee respectively.
ODM national chairman John Mbadi who chaired the consensus building among aspirants said the party will not conduct polls for Kisumu governor position and MPs for Seme, Nyando and Kisumu East.
“For Kisumu, they have nominations for senator seat and woman reps position for Kisumu West, Kisumu Central, Muhoroni, Nyakach and all the wards in Kisumu will be elected by the voters,” he said.
Voters in Kisumu will decide the fate of incumbents Onyango Koyoo (Muhoroni), Aduma Owuor (Nyakach) and Fred Ouda (Kisumu Central).
MPs James Nyikal (Seme) and Jared Okelo (Nyando) are the only incumbents in Kisumu whose constituencies will not conduct primaries on April 19.
In Migori, ODM will only conduct nominations for woman representatives and Suna West represented by Peter Masara.
Addressing a press conference at his office on Wednesday, Mbadi defended the use of opinion polls to select party candidates saying it is a cost-effective way of gauging the aspirant’s strengths.
He dismissed the talks, the ODM polls only favoured incumbent MPs observing a lack of serious competition in most constituencies.
“I think that justifies the reasons why the incumbents are getting a little easier ride as opposed to previously,” he said.
Mbadi said there are some areas where the incumbents are not ahead.
“I don't want to mention them by name, but I know one in Migori, Homabay and two in Kisumu. Here the incumbents could be ahead but just one or two percentage points so it's not true that it's favouring them,” he said.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris