WHY RAILA ODINGA SHOULD BE TOUGH ON NOMINATIONS

BY:  JEFF OTIENO AGUKO
KISUMU CITY BASED
FREELANCE JOURNALIST
AND A CORRESPONDENT
STUDENT WRITERS BUREAU
COLLEGE OF JOURNALISM
MANCHESTER - BRITAIN
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WHY RAILA ODINGA SHOULD BE TOUGH ON NOMINATIONS
 
 
ODM Presidential flag bearer Raila Odinga appears destined to the house on the hill as per the prevailing political scenario in the country (Kenya).
 
According to Poll Opinion conducted by the Steadman Raila scored an impressive 53%, incumbent President Mwai Kibaki 39% while ODM-Kenya candidate Kalonzo Musyoka got a paltry 8% to the chagrin of his supporters who dismissed the opinion as a cruel hoax and manipulated to favour Raila Odinga.
 
Observers however argue that the ODMs Raila Odinga has some how worked vigorously and relentlessly and deserves the wide margin.
 
“If he remains consistent upto the election day, then the range will even shock”,  Opines one of his ally who talked to this journalist on condition of anonymity. But the O.D.M. candidate also remains with the most crucial stage of his chequered political career to become Kenya’s fourth president since independence in 1963, that’s the task of conducting fair nominations of both civic and Parliamentary candidates.
 
Currently there’s a body working under the flagship election board headed by no nonsense Retired appellate judge Richard Otieno Kwatch.
 
If the retired justice will be accorded the moral support to conduct the Primaries then the O.D.M vessel will avoid looming fallout and voter apathy.
 
It’s imperative and worth noting that as per the records since the advent of pluralism way back in 1992, the community total number of vote percentage has never gone beyond 65% which critics and analysts attribute to nomination fraud and manipulation by those who believe they are close with the powers that be in Luo-land political set up.
 
Despite Railas recent assurance which was applauded by party adherents and his admirers that the nominations will be free and fair, some clique of Luo MPs are still reading from a different script, they’re still sending emissaries to Prevail Upon Raila to accord them soft landing spot courtesy of their sycophantic approach to politics devoid of service delivery to the galaxy of suffering electorates.
 
For the Luo Politicians who are still glued in this kind of parochial thought they should be told that as a community we have seen positions like Vice Presidency, Permanent Secretaries, Ministers and Top Chief Executives but the Presidency has been piped dream and therefore Raila should not be diverted towards such ends apart from Presidency.
 
 
The election board and Raila in particular should put shrewd mechanisms in place to curb the fears manipulation of voters in constituencies like Rongo, Karachuonyo, Mbita, Nyakach, Rangwe, Gem and Alego Usonga to name but a few.  With a properly conducted nomination exercise, Raila and his ODM outfit is headed for victory.
 
 
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