How ODM settled on Cornel Rasanga for Siaya County by-election

By Lawrence Aluru

SIAYA, KENYA: The decision to have Mr Cornel Rasanga contest on an Orange Democratic Movement ticket was made by the party’s National Executive Committee, The Standard  Digital has learnt.

This was after ODM top brass reached a deadlock on who to nominate between Rasanga, Mr Owuor Ong’wen and William Oduol to run for the governor seat. Eng Carey Rege and Elisha Odhiambo were for the deputy governor’s position.

The candidates appeared before the Party’s National Elections Board which recommended to NEC that Ong’wen be nominated as the flag bearer.

To assist the party come out of the stalemate, NEC members decided to go to the ballot in a bid to pick the flag bearer.

It was here that one member decided not to cast his ballot, one voted for Ong’wen and the remaining were for Rasanga whose March 4 election was recently nullified by the High Court sitting in Kisumu.

The votes automatically overturned the board’s recommendation and gave Rasanga the ticket to defend the seat he held for four months before the court sent him packing.

The decision gives Rasanga another opportunity to face it off with Jubilee candidate expected to be named Friday.

“The only concession was that all candidates made a commitment to accept the verdict of the party when it picked the flag bearer,” said Ong’wen.

NEC’s decision that resolved the nomination issue was accepted by other candidates while some decided to face Rasanga at the by-election set for October 17.

“I did not agree with this decision but I respect it as it was done in accordance with the party constitution and election nomination rules,” Ong’wen added.

However, Oduol dismissed the result, saying it did not represent what they had agreed on.

“It seems these Orange people were buying time to have me locked out of the race but I am smarter. I will be on the ballot,” said Oduol who will contest the seat on a National Agenda Party of Kenya ticket.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had ordered all parties interested in the seat to conduct their nominations by September 2, a date that passed without the Orange team carrying out the exercise that was to involve the party’s delegates.