The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party grassroots elections will kick off on April 27, 2024.
In a press briefing Wednesday, the party’s Central Management Committee said membership registration will go on countrywide in preparation for grassroots and national elections.
The polls will be held in nine counties. Polls in Kwale, Busia and Siaya counties are slated for April 27th, while Kajiado, Migori and Wajir on April 29, and Kisii, Vihiga and Murang’a counties will conclude the exercise on April 30th.
ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna said the party has also scheduled a National Executive Committee NEC meeting on April 11, to ratify the National Steering Committee which will oversee the exercise.
Sifuna who read the statement at Capitol Hill Square said the party will, in the due course, release the elections schedule for the remaining 38 counties.
“A further timetable covering the next batch of counties shall be released in due course. we agreed to continue with the ongoing membership registration while at the same time working to kick off the processes towards grassroots and national elections,” he explained.
He cautioned that the elections should not divide members. “We, therefore, agreed not to allow election activities to be the source of divisions or cause cracks in ODM. The elections must be seen as a friendly match and not a do or die”.
The opposition will hold the polls a day after a similar launch by the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party which will run in four phases.
UDA’s first phase will take place on April 26, 2024, in seven counties of Nairobi, Narok, West-Pokot, Busia, Homabay, Isiolo and Garissa.
The second phase of its grassroots election will be on June 22, 2024, in 13 counties namely; Mombasa, Uasin Gishu, Nyandarua, Tharaka Nithi, Machakos, Kisii, Bungoma, Siaya, Taita Taveta, Wajir, Tana River, Kwale and Marsabit.
15 counties are targeted for phase three on August 10, 2024 namely; Kiambu, Embu, Kericho, Meru, Migori, Kakamega, Nyamira, Kitui, Elgeyo Marakwet, Samburu, Kajiado, Mandera, Kilifi, Murang’a and Lamu.
The last phase will take place on August 24, 2024 in 12 counties.
The ODM meeting was chaired by Raila Odinga and also attended by among others deputy Party Leader Wycliffe Oparanya, national chairman John Mbadi, Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi, Minority Whip Junet Mohamed, ODM executive Director Oduor Ong’wen, Party’s Treasurer Timothy Bosire and Women League President Beth Syengo.
