RESOLUTIONS OF THE ODM NEC RETREAT HELD AT STONI ATHI RESORT IN ATHI RIVER ON 25TH – 26TH SEPTEMBER 2020.
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has concluded a two-day retreat here at Stoni Athi Resort in Machakos County to deliberate on various matters touching on the party and its growth as we seek a path out of the Covid pandemic that has stifled many aspects of normal life including conduct of political activity. The NEC invited members of the newly reconstituted National Elections Board (NEB), Disciplinary Committee and Members of the Party’s Technical Committee to join in the deliberations.
Following the deliberations over the past 2 days, the NEC has resolved as follows.
1. That in light of the persistence of the Covid-19 pandemic, the NEC has resolved that it will not be possible to conduct the Party’s grassroots elections that had been scheduled for the first quarter of this year in the normal manner. However bearing in mind the need to still meet the dictates of our Party Constitution, the NEC has resolved to conduct a harmonization exercise to fill existing gaps in the Party leadership resulting from death, resignations, or defections from the Polling station level to the National level. In this regard, the Harmonization exercise at the polling station level and the sub branch (Ward) level shall be undertaken by our members in the Month of October 2020. Thereafter a similar exercise will be undertaken at the Branch level (The 290 Constituencies) and the County Coordinating Committees in all the 47 Counties under supervision of the National Elections Board and the National Secretariat. A detailed schedule shall be released by NEB in the coming weeks. Once these are concluded we shall then conduct the same Harmonization at National level. It is anticipated that this exercise will be concluded no later than December 2020.
2. In order to enhance service delivery and in the spirit of strengthening and revamping our structures as recommended in the Muma Taskforce report, the National Executive Committee has reconstituted the Party’s Legal Affairs Committee as follows;
• Hon. Tim Wanyonyi MP ( Chair and Secretary Legal Affairs)
• Hon. Judy Pareno MP
• Ms. Barbara Malowa
• Ms. Sophie Amutavi (Youth League)
• Mr. Fred Orego
• Mr. Nelson Osiemo
• Ms. Jane Matoke
• Mr. Jackson Awele
• Mr. Anthony Opondo
• Mr. Eric Changorok (Youth League)
3. On the forth-coming by-elections the NEB reported that it had received applications from interested candidates for the party ticket in all the 5 areas scheduled to hold elections on 15th December 2020. The board is scheduled to hold primaries in Msambweni and in Kisumu North Ward where we have more than one applicant. A ticket will be issued to the only applicant in Wundanyi/Mbale Ward in Taita Taveta in due course. As a Party, We wish to thank the Jubilee party leader President Uhuru Kenyatta for the decision not to field a candidate in Msambweni in the spirit of handshake. In the same spirit, the Party’s NEC has resolved that ODM will not be fielding candidates in Lake View Ward in Nakuru County and Kahawa Wendani Ward in Kiambu County both of which were held by Jubilee.
4. Cognizant of the central role that the Party’s NEC plays in the management of the Party and the need to maintain the probity of its deliberations the NEC resolved to suspend Hon. Owen Baya, the MP for Kilifi North Constituency from membership of this critical organ and from his position as the Deputy Organizing Secretary given his recent public utterances and conduct that have cast doubt on his commitment to this party and its objectives.
5. We are calling on all our party members to heed the rallying call by the party leader H.E. Raila Amolo Odinga to be prepared for the upcoming reform debate and referendum as we seek to make what is a good constitution better. We know the usual anti-reform forces are regrouping to fight efforts aimed at uniting Kenyans, rebuild our economy and stop the looting of public resources. We are telling them, their days are numbered. We shall defeat them.
Finally, we have seen some leaders alleging a scheme to steal the 2022 elections through the huduma number. This is in keeping with their brand of systemic de-legitimization of public institutions, selling propaganda and peddling division. We are not surprised that the Huduma Number project has become their latest punching bag. They have in the past viciously opposed the fight against corruption, they fight the DCI, the EACC, and cripple the running of government. We wish to remind tangatanga leaders that their patron registered for the Huduma Number in broad daylight smiling chin to chin. He marketed it as a good thing. When did it suddenly become bad? The defeat coming their way in 2022 will be as a result of Kenyans rejection of their brand of politics and nothing else. Having seen their prospects dwindle by the day, they have begun laying a basis for rejecting the outcome of the 2022 Election and causing chaos and must be condemned in the strongest words possible. Thank you, God bless ODM and God Bless Kenya.
Hon. Edwin Sifuna
SECRETARY GENERAL
26th September 2020.
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