ODM on KRA, Kenya Power officials in UDA ranks » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 3 — The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has faulted the move by the ruling party United Democratic Alliance (UDA) to appoint public officials to party organs overseeing forthcoming polls.
The Raila Odinga-led party has castigated UDA’s move to appoint KRA Board Chairperson Anthony Mwaura to chair its National Elections Board and his Kenya Power counterpart Joy Masinde as the Electoral Disputes Resolution Committee (EDRC) Chairperson.
The opposition party has demanded the immediate resignation of public officials named as UDA party officials.
“Consequently, we demand that all those people who have been named as UDA officials must immediately resign from public service. There is no way they will serve two masters, the public and the UDA party,” ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna announced on Wednesday.
ODM party expressed concerns that the move will return the country to the dark Moi era by enshrining the return of what it described as a Party-State system.
“We take the position that this development is wrong. It is a recipe for chaos and dictatorship and partisanship in the management of public affairs,” Sifuna stated.
The opposition party accused President William Ruto’s administration of coordinated attempts to derail the implementation of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report alleging they have sponsored cases to derail the implementation of the report.
“If indeed elements in the regime are having second thoughts regarding proposals they signed onto of their own volition, they should come out clearly to say so instead of sponsoring these cases,” said Sifuna.
Meanwhile, ODM rescheduled its grassroots election to April 27, attributing the delay to the government’s tardiness in disbursing political parties’ funds.
ODM’s top decision-making body announced the postponement amid concerns over simmering feuds within the party over succession debate on the position of Party Leader.
Raila Odinga, the party’s lifelong leader, is eyeing the African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson seat after Kenya settled on him as the country’s candidate and launched a campaign for regional backing.
Odinga’s success in the AUC quest will however lock him out of local politics under the rules of the continental body.
Sifuna outlined plans to adopt either a consensus, manual, or digital voting system, on a case-by-case basis.
“The electoral committee will collaborate with our regional members to determine the most suitable voting method for each area,” stated Sifuna.
The Odinga-led party has pledged to reinstate the National Election Board, disbanded in January, before the April 27 polls.
The Central Committee had initially proposed devolving election management to the grassroots level, appointing male and female elections coordinators for each county.
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