ODM to hold fresh nominations in Bondo as Alego awaits fate
Bondo MP Gideon Ochanda (left) has rejected a proposal to drop his re-election bid in favour of nominated MP Oburu Oginga (right) in the August elections.
ODM supporters in Bondo constituency, Siaya County, will have to return to the ballot in the next 72 hours to choose a nominee for the MP’s seat.
The contest is between the incumbent MP Gideon Ochanda and his main challenger Andiwo Mwai.
Meanwhile, Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi, who was declared winner in the April 13 nominations, will also wait until April 30 to know his fate.
In Bondo, Mr Ochanda had been declared winner in the ODM primaries but Mr Mwai challenged the results for the second time at the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT).
He had challenged the outcome at the ODM tribunal, which upheld Mr Ochanda’s win.
In the ruling issued by video link, the PPDT ordered the party to arrange fresh voting to determine who would fly the ODM ticket in the parliamentary race in the August 9 elections.
Mr cited, among others, faulty voting kits in his strongholds that delayed voting.
Dr Ochanda received 10,771 votes against Mr Mwai’s 4,967.
Bondo sub-county is home to ODM leader Raila Odinga and winning the Orange party ticket is an added advantage.
The ruling poses a challenge to ODM owing to the limited time it has to beat the IEBC deadline for submitting the names of nominees for various seats.
Nullified
Bondo is the second constituency in Siaya where nominations have been nullified, after Gem. Though Elisha Odhiambo was declared winner of the primaries in Gem, his main challenger Dr Jalang'o Midiwo was awarded the party’s ticket.
Mr Odhiambo declined to take part in the repeat polls that ODM’s National Elections Board (NEB) called. He cited plots to rig him out.
“I know there is a plot to rig me out and give my rival the ticket. It makes no sense to go through the process of convincing people to vote for you and then be subjected again to the same. I will not take part in that illegality,” he said.
ODM party held primaries in Siaya on April 13 through universal suffrage for the position of woman representative and for the Gem, Bondo and Alego Usonga MP seats.
The Incumbent Woman Rep Christine Ombaka garnered 27,521 votes, ahead of her main challenger Pamela Akelo who received 20,513.
In Alego Usonga, Mr Atandi trounced former university lecturer Dr Nicholas Ochogo with 17,789 votes against the latter’s paltry 3,350.
Nominated MP Jackline Oduol was third with 542 votes.
In Gem, Dr Midiwo, a brother of the late former MP Jakoyo Midiwo, was second with 6,384 against the incumbent Mr Odhiambo’s 7,405.
