Chaos mars Orange party grassroots elections

Violence and disputes marred the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) elections in Kisumu and Siaya counties this week.

In Kisumu, two opposing camps fought for the party’s chairmanship position in the county yesterday.

Former Assistant Education Minister Ayiecho Olweny who was reportedly vying for the position was allegedly stoned while in his vehicle and chased away by angry delegates.

Mr Olweny met the wrath of the delegates when he was trying to access Tom Mboya Labour College where the elections were scheduled to take place. The police had to intervene to save the legislator.

Speaking to The Standard on phone, Olweny challenged the party to investigate the matter. “I cannot return to the venue,” he said angrily.

A section of the delegates later installed Dave Okwach, who was Olweny’s only competitor as the county chairman. ODM Returning Officer Japheth Okal confirmed Mr Okwach to the position.

However, all other seats, including the powerful post of secretary general were not filled. “The people wanted Okwach and because there was no other candidate, we confirmed him,” Mr Okal said. “The chairman will convene a meeting to fill the remaining vacant positions.”

The elections in Alego Usonga constituency, Siaya were aborted after a section of delegates from North Alego claimed the process was not free and fair.

SYSTEM FAULTED

Majority faulted the consensus voting system as retrogressive and ineffective. The two factions of delegates led by Orwenjo Umidha and Francis Faja did not seem to agree on a specific mode of election, with Mr Faja proposing the ballot method and Mr Orwenjo opting for consensus.

Faja said he and the other delegates were forced to stop the election after they had initially been blocked from accessing the election venue, provoking them to storm it.

Speaking to The Standard on phone, the returning officer, Alex Dunga, said: “Hired goons were brought in the stadium from Kisumu. I had to call off the elections. We will have fresh elections on Friday (tomorrow).”

In a show of unity, two ODM MPs agreed to work together after resolving their differences.

Nominated MP Oburu Oginga and his Bondo counterpart Gideon Ochanda, who have been at loggerheads, promised to put aside their differences as a way of fostering unity in the party.

While declaring before a cheering crowd that they would work together, the duo said there was no need to form political camps in the region.

“We all come from Bondo and forming political camps is not good for the region’s development,” said Mr Ochanda.

The relationship between the two soured when Ochanda accused Oburu of meddling in the affairs of the constituency.

Oburu and Ochanda were on Monday elected the Bondo sub-branch ODM chairman and secretary respectively following the grassroot elections.

—Report by Dennis Onyango, Isaiah Gwengi and Olivia Odhiambo