SEPTEMBER 17, 2019
THE STANDARD WRONG, AGAIN, ON ODM ACTIONS ON KIBRA:
On the morning of 27th August 2019, ODM aspirants for the Kibra Parliamentary seat met with the Party Leader Rt. Hon Raila Odinga at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation offices in Nairobi with two items on the agenda.
The aspirants wanted to agree on one of them to be handed the Party’s ticket. In the event they failed to agree, they wanted a formula to ensure all aspirants back the eventual winner of the nomination contest. The meeting took place at the request of the aspirants.
It was at this meeting that Hon. Raila Odinga, at the request of the aspirants, committed to have the party refund nomination fees that had been paid by those who would pull out of the race or who lost at the nomination. In return, the losers and those pulling out were to rally behind the winner. The Party Leader preferred that aspirants go all the way to the ballot.
Against this background, Mr Odinga finds reports appearing in the Standard today that the refund of nomination fees was an indication of bungled party primaries, malicious and a continuation of the agenda of misinformation that the paper started on Monday against ODM.
Once again, Mr Odinga urges ODM supporters to continue ignoring, while carefully monitoring, the Standard’s malicious reporting on the Party’s activities in Kibra. He appeals to all aspirants to remain true to their pledge, back the candidate and help the party retain the seat in November.
Mr Odinga continues to appeal to Party supporters to reject attempts by the Standard to make them believe that the parties that handpicked candidates in Kibra did a better job than ODM which conducted free, fair, credible and peaceful nominations.
DENNIS ONYANGO
SEPTEMBER 17, 2019
