The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has issued a stern warning to individuals who intend to disrupt the ongoing party grassroots elections.
In a statement on Tuesday, April 8, the ODM secretary for communication and publicity affairs, Rahab Robi, said that any person caught disrupting the elections will be expelled from the party.
Robi stressed the need for party members to display the highest level of discipline during the elections.
"Party elections are like a friendly match where every member has the right to choose whomever they want to lead them at any level of the party hierarchy," he said.
"We want to sound a warning to anyone planning to cause violence anywhere in the country in tomorrow's exercise that stern action shall be taken against them, including expulsion from the party," he added.
The ODM grassroots elections kicked off yesterday at the ward level and are expected to proceed to the constituency level on Wednesday, April 9.
So far, according to Rahab, most parts of the country have experienced a peaceful, seamless process, with only three wards out of 1,450 in the country reporting issues.
ODM assured that the few cases of election disruption, which have been reported in Homa Bay County, where a man's hand was chopped off, Nairobi, and Nakuru Counties, are currently under investigation.
"ODM is a party that believes in stronger grassroots leadership, and that is why we have never shied away from holding elections as required by law," he said.
"We have always held our elections without fail, and this can be confirmed by the report that was released by the Registrar of Political Parties in April 2024, which stated that ODM is the only party that is operating within the provisions of the law and the requirements of the Political Parties Act," he added.
During Wednesday's elections, only elected delegates at the ward level will proceed to the constituency level.
The grassroots elections are being conducted through a census or by a show of hands and are coordinated by the county elections committees.
