The opposition party ODM has acquired a new headquarters located in Lavington that is valued at Kshs180 million, thereby making good its promise to supporters that something new was coming soon.
It is reported that the party has already made a down payment of more than Kshs20 million and is expected to pay at least 60 per cent of the total cost before moving in by December 31.
The relocation is seen to be part of their rebranding strategy ahead of the 2022 general election.
A senior party official confided to journalists at The Standard that plans were underway to start renovating the new headquarters in readiness for the relocation, which will be officially announced by the party leader, Raila Odinga.
“Everything is going on as planned, and from this week we will start painting the building with our orange colour and have any other thing fixed. We are also shopping for new items like furniture and cabinets for the new offices,” said the official.
He added that “The party is in the final stages of meeting all the contractual agreements before it finally becomes the owner of the property. This is not a lease like the current offices, but we are acquiring the property.”
The party on Friday told its supporters through a tweet to expect a revamped political outfit as “something good and new coming to you soon.”
ODM Executive Director Oduor Ong’wen had in June refuted the claims that the party was being kicked out of the property due bad blood between Raila's former aide, Caroli Omondi and the landlord.
“We wish to confirm that the tenancy of our National Secretariat at the current premises known as Orange House will come to its end on December 31, 2018, and by mutual consent between the Landlord and tenant, we have agreed not to renew it,” Ong’wen clarified.
The party explained that Omondi intends to construct a multi-storey office block on the property in line with the current trends of land use in the neighborhood.
