ODM releases dates for new grassroots polls

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has announced that its grassroots elections will take place at the end of this month across all 47 counties.

The party had initially intended for the polls to be held in April but later called them off, citing disruptions to the process due to extreme weather conditions.

“As all Party members are aware, the NECC pursuant to the resolution of the Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) had scheduled to conduct the grassroots elections in the month of April 2024 but due to the flooding that was being experienced in most parts of the country at the time, the exercise was postponed indefinitely,” said the National Elections Coordinating Committee

The body mandated by the Party Constitution “to plan, organize, direct, conduct, supervise and/or co-ordinate all party elections and nominations of candidates,” which includes the party grassroots elections, has stated that the polls will now be held on 27 November 2024, and that the elections will be conducted from 10 am to 2 pm on the day of the election.

“There will be elections for thirty (30) party officials, with 10 each from the three (3) committees at each polling unit/centre, namely: the Mainstream, Women’s League, and Youth League,” the NECC said in a statement.

The party confirmed that the positions to be contested in the Mainstream category will include the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Organising Secretary, Treasurer, Women Leader, Youth Leader, and three Committee Members.

The positions to be contested in the Women’s and Youth League categories will include Chairperson, Secretary, Organising Secretary and their deputies, Treasurer, and three Committee Members.

The Raila Odinga-led party further confirmed that the election methods to be used will include consensus or voting by a show of hands.

Ahead of the poll, ODM has asked its members to read and familiarise themselves with the guidelines for grassroots elections.