The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) elections in Kakamega were brought to an abrupt stop after chaos ensued following disagreements between Governor Fernandes Barasa and Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera over the method of voting.
The grass-roots level elections which were held on Thursday, August 28, were forced to come to an end after the two leaders, who are both vying for the powerful county chairperson position, failed to agree on whether delegates should vote by secret ballot or by raising their hands/ the queueing system.
According to the ODM handout booklet, the party allows election through consensus and voting by members or delegates. Elections through consensus involve an agreement by the members or delegates who shall hold the office.
Tension escalated when Barasa’s camp insisted on voting by the old queuing system while Nabwera’s team demanded a secret ballot, citing transparency and fairness. Efforts to broker a consensus collapsed, forcing the Presiding Officer to call off the exercise.
The governor accused his opponents of having ill intentions to manipulate the elections.
"And we are ready to protect and defend the ODM party so that those conmen who want to sell the party can be sent home,’’ Barasa explained.
"We are ready, because there are some individuals who saw we had many people and said they don’t want an open election. ODM is very clear, the party elections are very clear on how we should conduct the elections,it’s about consensus or voting," the governor continued.
On her part, Nabwire alleged that his challenger, Barasa, chose to boycott the exercise after realizing defeat.
"ODM elections were cancelled because Barasa boycotted the secret ballot process and reiterated an outdated mlolongo system so that he could loot the votes to clinch the seat," Nabwera alleged.
The accusations elicited tensions and unrest among supporters, who promptly disrupted the process, leading to the suspension of elections.
Returning Officer Isaac Litali confirmed the cancellation of the elections until further notice.
The event was graced by Kakamega ODM members of Parliament, including Christopher Aseka, Elsie Muhanda, and other dignitaries.
