Written By Ramadhan Kambi 📝
“Whoever feels he is fully prepared to go for the primaries should be allowed to go”
Most of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) aspirants will go for nominations in Kilifi County after they failed to reach to a consensus.
This is despite efforts by the National Elections Board (NEB) to convince the aspirants to agree on one best suitable candidate so as to allow direct nominations and prevent divisions in the party.
The region has been an ODM stronghold for many years but is currently facing strong opposition from Pamoja African Alliance Party (PAA) allied to Governor Amason Kingi together with UDA whose candidate is the Vocal Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa.
Among those who disagreed during the meeting convened by the NEB at Kilifi County, ODM offices include the five gubernatorial aspirants.
Those eying for the Kilifi gubernatorial seat are former Devolution CAS Gideon Mung’aro, Kilifi Speaker Jimmy Kahindi, Immediate former Kenyan Envoy to Tanzania Dan Kazungu, Deputy Governor Gideon Saburi, and former Assistant Minister Francis Baya.
Mun’garo, Kahindi, Kazungu, and Saburi were present during the meeting presided over by Richard Tairo, a commissioner from the ODM Elections Board.
Out of the four gubernatorial candidates, three seemed to be ready for the consensus while Kahindi opposed the move and maintained that they have to go for nominations for the people to decide their best candidate.
Mr. Baya was absent during the meeting and it is not clear whether he supports consensus or was also ready for nominations.
The Speaker said they have resolved to go for nominations as members of ODM but emphasized the need for people to work together for the benefit of the party.
He said failing to reach consensus should not be perceived as if there is political war as it means people are ready to go to the grassroots and fight to win the primaries which is one of the democratic ways.
He said there have been no talks with the other gubernatorial aspirants to warrant agreement on consensus and everyone believes in how he has prepared himself to win the primaries.
“Whoever feels he is fully prepared to go for the primaries should be allowed to go and if there will be consensus which has not been reached so far then it will be different and people will be made to know. Currently, we are waiting for April 4 to go for the nominations,” he said.
Mr. Kazungu a former Malindi MP said he was in support of the proposal by the ODM National Elections Board to ensure there is consensus among aspirants so as to ease the process of getting candidates.
“My colleagues have asked if we could talk and I am ready for talks because I think consensus as the National Elections board commissioner said here is more important than opinion polls or other ways,” he said.
Mr. Kazungu confirmed that there were three gubernatorial aspirants who were ready to sit and talk but the other two have not confirmed if they are ready for that.
On His part Mung’aro said every aspirant should prepare for the nomination exercise but also welcomed talks for consensus.
“There have been talks which have been going on but when we have the white smoke we will speak,” said the former CAS.
Mr. Mung’aro said he has been involved in some of the talks and revealed that there are still more talks coming adding that many aspirants are ready to reach a consensus which is important to reduce hatred.
“It is important for people to talk in this world you cannot oppose talks even during a war, the countries which are at war still create time to talk so as to reduce conflicts,” he said.
Mr. Saburi who served as outgoing Governor Amason Kingi’s Deputy for the last five years said as Kilifi leaders they have begun talks so as to get a candidate who will transform Kilifi on development.
He said they are currently weighing on who is the stronger candidate to be given the mantle to battle for the governor position.
“If we reach an agreement early, we shall relieve the party from the trouble of going for nominations, so we are in the race but still we are trying to get one of us who will best fit to be the flagbearer,” he said.
Tairo said the party was emphasizing consensus so as to prevent fallouts that emerge after primaries.
“If consensus fails then we will have to go to the ballot, our prayer is that whoever wins those who lose should support him so that everyone remains in the party,” he said.
Mr. Tairo advised the ODM members to ensure they give direct nominations to strong candidates to prevent them from going to other parties as it could lead to the loss of the seats.
He hailed those who had reached consensus including Kaloleni, Kaya Fungo, Kambe Ribe, Ganda, and Jaribuni.
“We pray for consensus from the Governor position, Woman Rep, Senator, Members of Parliament, MCAs all of them we urge you to try consensus as away because it is better than opinion polls,” he said.
Other aspirants who talked were Eliud Kalama who is seeking the Kilifi North parliamentary seat, Twahir Abdulkarim (Shela Ward) Baraka Mataza (Malindi Town Ward) who said Mung’aro was better placed to be given the ODM gubernatorial ticket.
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