Gideon Mung’aro now boycotts ODM elections

Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung’aro has not participated in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) grassroots elections, and local party officials say this means he has been locked out of holding any position in the party.

The polls were concluded on Wednesday after two weeks of voting.

National Executive Council (NEC) member Grace Mboja said Mr Mung’aro, who was the chairman of the defunct Malindi branch and also the Kilifi County organising secretary, did not show his interest to either defend his position or go for a higher post.

“He did not make a formal application to the party headquarters and if he did not participate in the elections then that means he is no longer a holder of any ODM seat in the county,” Ms Mboja said.

In August Mung’aro had told The Standard that he had not been informed of the party grassroots elections.

“The office never communicated to me so I could not bother myself much with the elections,” he said.

Kilifi north returning officer Abdallah Tsuma Thursday confirmed Mung’aro did not apply to participate in the polls.

Another blow

Trouble for Mun’garo started when he was first removed from the post of the minority chief whip in the National Assembly and was replaced by Wundanyi MP Thomas Mwadeghu.

The MP got another blow after he was ousted from the party’s organising secretary position for Kilifi County and was replaced by Joseph Chllumo.

Contacted after this removal, Mung’aro said he was not aware of it, adding that he was not surprised with the move, claiming that the ODM “dictatorial leadership” had earlier plotted and removed him as the minority chief whip.

Chilumo, who confirmed to have been endorsed for the post, contested the Kilifi North parliamentary seat in the last general elections and lost to Mung’aro.