Azimio candidates in Homa Bay back to drawing board over ODM six piece vote push
Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga endorses the candidature of Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga who is vying for the governor seat at Agoro Sare High School in Homa Bay County on July 3,2022
Some candidates in parties affiliated to the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition in Homa Bay have gone back to the drawing board to strategise on how to win the August 9 elections.
This is after the coalition's presidential candidate Raila Odinga asked voters in the county to give priority to ODM politicians, saying he wants people he can easily work with if he wins.
As a contingency plan, aggrieved Azimio candidates have drafted new campaign approaches as they fight the six-piece voting proposal that now threatens their chances of winning.
Politicians from the coalition who spoke to journalists said they would not sit back hoping for fair competition with their counterparts in the Orange party when they are being "discriminated against" by top alliance officials including Mr Odinga himself.
Embracing independents
Some of the new ways of seeking support are welcoming independent candidates to their cycles and dropping ODM candidates as they counter the six-piece wave that is now picking up after Mr Odinga’s visit on Sunday.
Kanu first vice-chairman Tom Ojanga, who is vying for the Senate seat against Moses Kajwang of ODM, Kenneth Kambona, an independent candidate, and others accused members of ODM in the county of abusing the original concept of Azimio that he argued was to bring parties together with the aim of fostering national unity.
"The Azimio foundation is for national unity, stability and cohesion. Declaring that Nyanza is an ODM zone will come with many problems as some communities will see Raila as someone who cannot work with other people apart from those within his party," Ojanga said.
He was echoed by Mr Achuodho Kachuodho, who wants the Rangwe parliamentary seat on a DAP-K ticket, and Mr Fredrick Odhiambo, who is seeking the Homa Bay Town East ward seat under DAP-K.
Mr Kachuodho said sidelining other candidates would have negative consequences on the presidential election.
"Voters in Homa Bay will continue having leaders who cannot deliver because they are being forced with one set of candidates. It happened in the last General Election and its consequences are clear," he said.
When Mr Odinga held rallies in Oyugis, Magunga, Ndhiwa and Homa Bay town on Sunday, he endorsed all ODM candidates and asked voters to consider them before the rest of the Azimio candidates.
At the meetings, though branded with Azimio colours, only ODM candidates were recognised and given a chance to speak as party members turned them into coronation events.
Mr Ojanga, who led a team of at least 15 candidates vying for various seats in the county under Kanu, claimed some ODM members dared him to attend the meeting in Homa Bay town and risk being harmed.
"I attended the meeting as an Azimio member [but] unfortunately no one recognised me. This is despite putting a lot of effort in ensuring Raila becomes President," he said.
He added that the act of keeping other candidates aside will impact the presidential vote as some candidates will campaign against ODM.
"Some people are so mad that they will only vote for county seats and leave alone the presidential vote. Raila endorsing ODM candidates is a sign that he does not care for the people," he said.
"He should let voters decide who to elect. It creates a picture that Raila will not work with other people and this can affect his votes.”
Mr Kachuodho said Mr Odinga should have let voters in Homa Bay decide who they want as their leaders, adding that services to the people are not determined by the party a leader belongs to but his ability to work for them.
"The Azimio presidential campaign needs collaboration between different politicians from different parties; it's a question of what one can do," he said.
Meanwhile, former Nairobi governor Evans Kidero called on Homa Bay residents to maintain peace as they prepare to vote for Mr Odinga.
“I want to urge our supporters to continue with the same spirit and prepare to vote for Baba (Mr Odinga) on election day,” he said in a statement.
“Cognizant of the high stakes that this election has evoked, I want to reiterate that this is a political contest that will end after votes are cast after which normalcy will resume; therefore, we need to uphold a high level of sobriety and tolerance towards each other, [and] continue to love each other regardless of political affiliations.”
