The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) on Wednesday, January 10, announced the disbandment of the party’s National Elections Board.
The party which is led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga made the communication during the Central Committee meeting held at the Orange House, Nairobi.
With the disbandment of the NEB, the opposition party announced that it was devolving party elections to the grassroots.
“Party elections to be managed at County level with 2 coordinators,” the Committee recommended during the meeting.
On how the process would work without a functional NEB, ODM revealed that a coordinating committee comprising three persons at the national level would report directly to the party’s central committee.
“This is aimed at improving efficiency, credibility and grassroots empowerment in the spirit of revolution which the party holds dearly,” the Party informed its members.
ODM remarked that Emily Awita and Richard Tairo who served in the disbanded NEB would be retained to the 3-member National Coordinating Committee for institutional memory.
Additionally, Beatrice Askul from Turkana County was proposed to join the committee.
Grassroots recruitment exercises and consultative forums for the month of January will take place in 9 counties.
These include; Busia, Vihiga, Bungoma, Lamu, Tana River, Kilifi, Taita Taveta, Kwale, and Mombasa.
Raila Odinga who chaired the committee complained of the slashing of political parties' funds.
“This follows the recent slashing of the allocation to political parties funds by 60 per cent in the supplementary budget passed by Parliament,” a statement from the party read in part.
Raila and his team remarked that President William Ruto’s administration was out to cripple political parties.
