Raila chairs top party organ meeting ahead of grassroots polls

The Orange party will hold the National Governing Council (NGC) meeting, barely two weeks after the outfit’s National Executive Council meeting.

“The NGC are meeting to endorse the resolution of the NEC. This including revamping the election coordinating committee ahead of our grassroots elections,” ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna said.

The NGC will among others approve NEC’s decision to disband the National Elections Board following a recommendation of the Central Management Committee.

NEC had ratified the establishment of the three-member National Elections Coordinating Committee to oversee the devolved polls.

On January 10, CMC also created positions of two coordinators—one male and one female—to oversee the election in the counties.

But NEC expanded the number of coordinators to three to allow for quorum and achieve odd number where voting is necessary.

NGC will be required to endorse the changes.

NGC comprises of NEC members, National Secretariat, Party Parliamentary Group, Council of Governors, ODM Women League and ODM Youth League.

Others are National Elections Board, Party County Assembly Group  and Branch Executive Committee  (County).

ODM Political Affairs Secretary Opiyo Wandayi explained that NGC can perform functions of the National Delegates Conference which meets once in five years.

According to Wandayi who is also the National Assembly Minority leader, NGC ratifications is final since the organ can act on behalf of NDC.

“NGC will ratify the recommendations of NEC. Whatever they ratify will be final since they can act on behalf of the National Delegates Conference. There are a few issues that NEC recommended,” Wandayi said.

NGC will be meeting to endorse the new-look three-Member National Elections Coordinating Committee.

NECC will replace the defunct National Elections Board that was disbanded following recommendations of the National Executive Committee on September 6, 2023.

Further, NGC will ratify the proposal to have NECC which now has devolved roles, and will be executed at the county level by a three-member County Elections Committees.

In addition, the top party organ will also ratify the proposed grassroots elections after NEC gave the nod for the rolling out of the exercise in phases beginning April 27, 2024.

“We urge party members to participate in this exercise and elect officials who will steer the party to prosperity,” NEC had said.

“It is worth noting that ODM is the only party in the country that has been consistent in fulfilling legal obligations as stipulated in the Political Parties Act including conducting grassroots elections on time,” it added.

The opposition party, which came close to holding elections in 2014 before the exercise aborted, was however quick to warn its members against plans to use the polls to split the outfit.

“We have agreed not to allow election activities to be the source of irresponsibility or cracks in ODM,” Sifuna said.

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

CMC disbanded the National Elections Board in January and picked three members for a new entity.

“So we have our full timetable to ensure all of these things are in place before April 27.”

According to the schedule released by the party, Kwale, Busia and Siaya counties will go to the polls on April 27 to elect their leaders while Kajiado, Migori and Wajir will pick their leaders on April 29.

On April 30, the party will conclude the first phase of the exercise with elections in Kisii, Vihiga and Murang'a counties.

The opposition did not however rule out resorting to consensus, arguing that it is a method allowed under the party’s constitution.

Sources intimated that NGC would also endorse the candidature of the party leader Raila for the position of the chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) in the election scheduled for February 2025.