The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader, Raila Odinga, is on the receiving end after a speech he made in Homa Bay on Monday, April 18, calling for a six-piece voting model, rubbed his allies the wrong way.
The Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party presidential aspirant had urged the electorate in Luo Nyanza to only pick ODM candidates in the August vote.
However, this did not sit well with Azimio National Coalition Executive Council (NCEC) deputy chairman, David Murathe, who cautioned that this might lead to voter apathy in the region, affecting the total vote tally.
Murathe explained that Raila's remarks could upset voter turnout and affect his presidential run, adding that allowing all other Azimio affiliate parties, including independent candidates backing Raila, to compete would be healthy for a high voter turnout.
“The more candidates the merrier. If you run candidates, for example, of David Ochieng’s party or even UDM, which Gumbo (Nicholas) is contesting for Siaya governor seat on, provided at the top they vote for Jakom (Raila), will see more people come out to vote.
"It is good for voter turnout. This is because they (contestants) will all mobilise their supporters to go and vote, so it is important to let the competition be very heavy and this will ensure the presidential vote remains intact,” Murathe was quoted by The Nation.
Murathe noted that if the voting pattern is made monolith, ODM supporters might not turn out to vote. His sentiments were backed by KANU Secretary General, Nick Salat, who also opined that the voter turnout will be affected if Raila insists on a six-piece voting pattern.
“We cannot achieve maximum presidential votes through the route he is going. It is better that he allows other parties to contest because he is still the beneficiary,” Salat remarked.
Raila, while on a visit to Homa Bay, asked his supporters to shun contestants vying with other political parties, arguing that this would ensure ODM remains dominant in the region and the country at large.
Raila was drumming up support for Homa Bay Woman Representative, Gladys Wanga, who was nominated by ODM as its gubernatorial flagbearer.
Her competitors have been criticising her candidature, arguing that she should not be elected as Homa Bay governor since she was not born there and only lives in the county by virtue of marriage.
Others argue that she does not understand the long-standing problems facing the people of Homa Bay.
"Some people say Wanga was born in Kano [which is not in Homa Bay County], and she now wants to run for governor in Homa Bay County. Those who are opposing her candidature based on that thinking are as foolish as their [redacted word],” Raila stated.
