ODM disbands elections board

By Peter Ochieng

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party on Wednesday announced disbandment of its National Elections Board (NEB).

According to a statement shared by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna who doubles up as the party's Secretary General (SG), the move is geared towards devolving the management of its elections to the grassroots.

The decision was adopted from a proposal during the Orange party's first central meeting of 2024.

“There shall then be a coordinating committee of three persons at the national level reporting directly to the party’s central committee. This is geared towards improving efficiency, promoting greater credibility and empowering the grassroots to play a more central role in the spirit of devolution which the party holds dear," said Sifuna.

Sifuna said Richard Tairo and Emily Awita who were members of the defunct NEB, will be retained as members of the coordinating committee at the national level.

They will be joined by Beatrice Askul from Turkana County. Awita will chair the committee.

The SG accused the ruling Kenya Kwanza administration of what he said was a continued onslaught on funding for political parties, terming it an intent to cripple all key institutions of democracy.

“In its very first supplementary budget in September 2023, the regime cut funds allocated to parties by over 60 per cent. This year the onslaught has continued with further cuts. This is a clear demonstration of the regime’s intent to cripple all key institutions of democracy from parliament to the judiciary to the political parties. We shall however not wait on the benevolence of our tormentors. We shall trudge on as we know their intentions are to stall our activities and operations and return the country to a single-party dictatorship.”

Meanwhile, the Raila Odinga-led party says it supports the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report.

However, it says the report drafted by Azimio and Kenya Kwanza leaders who were part of the national dialogue committee, is “imperfect and unfinished” as it is presently, but described it as 'a good start.'

SG Sifuna disclosed that 18 of 31 proposals made by the ODM party, constituting about 58% of the final draft, were adopted by the committee.

“These included reduction of the ballooning travel budget, increasing of minimum shareable revenue to counties and fast tracking of legislation related to the war against corruption. This is the good start,” he shared.

He regretted the fact that some of their key proposals, including reduction in the cost of living were not adopted.