Raila Amollo Odinga’s party Orange Democratic Movement ODM has returned an equal favour to their new partners, Jubilee Party.
On Saturday September 26th, ODM announced that it will not be competing anyone in two upcoming by-elections because Jubilee has been quite fair for them in the recent past with the last being the Msambweni by-elections where it also withdrew.
In their NEC official statement through Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, ODM declared that they will instead be supporting any Jubilee candidate who will be fielded.
“ODM has today through its party’s NEC resolved that it will not be fielding candidates in Lake View Ward in Nakuru County and Kahawa Wendani Ward in Kiambu County both of which were held by Jubilee,” Sifuna stated after the party’s NEC meeting which they held in Athi River on Saturday, September 26.
ODM also resolved to put on hold their planned grassroots elections citing presence of Coviod-19 pandemic.
The party wants to fill positions which had been left vacant as a result of death, resignations or defections from the party.
“NEC has resolved to conduct a harmonisation exercise to fill existing gaps in the party leadership resulting from death, resignations, or defections from the polling station level to the national level,” the statement partly read.
Mr. Sifuna revisited the issue of referendum asking their supporters to be ready to throw their weight behind BBI process and subsequent referendum.
“We know the usual anti-reform forces are regrouping to fight efforts aimed at uniting Kenyans, rebuild our economy and stop the looting of public resources. We are telling them, their days are numbered. We shall defeat them,” he warned.
He faulted those alleging that elections will be stolen in favour of Mr. Odinga saying it was not surprising to hear Ruto’s team turn their guns on the Huduma Namba since they have been fighting the DCI as well as opposed to the fight against corruption.