Inside plot by Joho, Oparanya camps to influence ODM grassroots polls

Allies of former Governors Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega) and Hassan Joho (Mombasa) are engaged in a well-calculated boardroom schemes to take over the party as the former premier eyes the Africa Union Commission chairman position. 

Both Oparanya and Joho are said to be keen on installing their allies in key ODM leadership positions during the planned grassroots elections.

The strategy is to get an edge should Raila succeed in the AU job quest.

The first phase of the elections was scheduled to start on Saturday (April 27) and will end on Tuesday (April 30) but that has since been rescheduled.

Announcing the change of plans, ODM National Elections Coordinating Committee chairperson Emily Awita cited the ongoing floods ravaging various parts of the country.

“The National Elections Coordinating Committee has received requests from Busia, Siaya, Kajiado and Wajir counties, where large sections of the respective counties are experiencing flooding and related challenges occasioned by ongoing heavy rains for the review of its programme for the first phase of ODM grassroots elections,” Awita said in a statement on Friday.

“Having reviewed the ground situation and assessed the requests, the NECC wishes to announce that the elections scheduled for (April) 27, 29 and 30 April 2024 are temporarily postponed as we access the situation. These will resume as soon as the situation has improved.”

Kwale, Busia and Siaya counties were to elect their leaders on Saturday while Kajiado, Migori and Wajir did their elections on Monday (April 29).

The county coordinators will be in charge of the organising the polls in the counties in coordination with the three-member NECC.

ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna on Friday confirmed to the Star that the polls are on and the party had recruited all the county coordinators who will oversee the exercise.

“The exercise is on and the coordinators are in office,” Sifuna told the Star.

The party also instructed its county coordinators to continue with the logistical preparations in readiness for the polls.

Even with the last minute postponement, the Star has learnt of behind the scenes vicious campaigns by both Oparanya and Joho camps to have their loyalists get key positions that will be crucial in electing the national office.

Aware of what a contested polls may end up in, ODM has warned against attempts by a section of it members to split the party in the name of campaigning for the positions.

“We, therefore, agreed not to allow election activities to be the source of irresponsibility or cracks in ODM,” Sifuna said after the party’s central management committee this month.

“The elections must be seen as a friendly match and not a do-or-die.”

There have been fears that the infighting could cloud the party’s grassroots election and further damage ODM’s standing. 

The party's attempt to hold grassroots elections in February 2014 after its National Delegates Conference was disrupted at the Karasani gymnasium.

Trouble started when men dressed in black suits overturned tables, smashed ballot boxes and destroyed election materials, insisting that the polls could not proceed unless they were furnished with party registers.

The elections were later called off, forcing the party to resort to boardroom negotiations that saw new leaders installed without any polls.

Carefully not to invite the party’s wrath, the rival camps have resorted to using regional leaders to ensure friendly officials secure victory in the polls.

Embakasi MP Babu Owino, Minority Whip Junet Mohammed, Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina, Amina Mnyazi (Malindi MP) and Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir have been linked to Joho camp.

The leaders – the Star has established – are silently leading in mobilisation efforts in their respective regions.

Babu is said to be taking charge of Nairobi, where he honed his leadership as a student leader before joining the national politics.

The second-term lawmaker is also emerging as Joho point man in Nyanza, where he has visited in the recent weeks.

Oparanya is equally engaged in similar activities to lock Western and Nyanza, areas deemed as ODM strongholds.

ODM members will be electing 20 officials for each of the four committees at each polling unit.

The committees include the mainstream, women league, youth league and disability league, respectively.

In each of the committee, the contest will be on chairperson, secretary, organising secretary, treasurer and their deputies.

They will also have women, youth, disability and marginalised representatives and committee members.

“Only party members can participate in the elections as a voter or aspirant in the polling unit where he or she is registered as a voter,” NEB said in a statement.

“Only party members registered as life members or ordinary members shall participate in the ODM party grassroots elections either as a voter or aspirant.”