Confusion as Returning Officers go underground at ODM primaries

ODM Secretary General Agnes Zani flanked by National Elections Board secretary Dr Robert Arunga

Confusion marred ODM primaries in most of the constituencies after returning officers went underground.

More than 24 hours after the nominations, many residents had not known who had won the party’s ticket to run for MP seats.

As a result, the ODM Central Committee approved recommendations of the National Elections Board to suspend the gubernatorial results in Homa Bay and Migori counties, and appointed a three-man member team to do fact-finding and make its report immediately.

This team is led by the party’s deputy treasurer, Timothy Bosire, National Assembly minority whip, Thomas Mwadeghu, and its elections board member, Dominic Motindi. The three are expected in Migori and Homa Bay immediately.

The action was taken after the constituency returning officers switched off their phones. Some of them had been accused by aspirants of demonstrating bias by declaring winners who did not deserve.

PHONES OFF

Only in Kasipul constituency were the results released officially where businessman Charles Ong’ondo was declared the winner for the party’s ticket with 11,800.

However, the confusion affected residents of the other seven constituencies Ndhiwa, Kabondo Kasipul, Karachuonyo, Rangwe, Suba, Homa Bay Town and Mbita.

Returning officers decided to switch off their phones and disappeared from tallying centers.

Some of the returning officers of those constituencies decided to leave constituency tallying centers for their own destinations.

In Ndhiwa constituency for example, MP Agostino Neto denounced the manner in which the returning officer declared his opponent, Martin Owino, the winner.

“The nomination was full of irregularities. The returning officer declared Mr Owino the winner before switching off his phone and disappearing,” Mr Neto said.