Tribunal disbands ODM elections board over bias

ODM supporter at CITAM church in Kisumu on October 1 2016 during ODM at 10 celebrations in kisumu. PIC BY COLLINS ODUOR

The Political Parties Dispute Tribunal has disbanded the Kisumu County ODM Elections Board, throwing the primaries planned for Monday into disarray.

The tribunal, sitting in Nairobi, ordered that the party constitutes a new board board to oversee nominations for the county, constituencies and ward seats. Members of the board, it further ruled, must come from outside Kisumu County.

Tribunal members Kyalo Mbobu, James Atema and Abdi Hassan Ahmed, made the ruling yesterday following a case filed before them by two voters — Hezron Opiyo Asudi and John Oketch Ongere—who claimed the current board was biased.

They had sued the chairman of the ODM National Elections Board and the ODM party.

The tribunal, mandated to adjudicate on disputes between the members of a political party under Section 40 of the Political Parties Act 2011, qualified claims that the teams selected to oversee the elections in the county were biased.

Asudi and Ongere specifically demanded that the Kisumu ODM Election Board be disbanded and fresh appointment be done in a more transparent manner and with full public participation.

Yesterday’s ruling now means that unless ODM moves fast to comply with the tribunal’s decree in time, it could derail or jeopardise the primaries slated for Monday.

Already, preparations for the nominations are in top gear, with most aspirants saying they are prepared for the Monday vote.