Kisumu
5/12/07
 
HOW ODM RIGGED OUT WINNER OF ITS PRELIMINARIES AND MASSIVE INFILTRATION OF MOI’S MEN IN ITS NOMINATION

By Leo Odera Omolo
 
It has now been confirmed beyond any reasonable doubt that the ODM nomination exercises in Muhoroni constituency was rigged.
 
The man who received the party certificate of clearance Prof Patrick Ayiecho Olweny despite having deployed violent tactics on the polling day was defeated by a large margin of over 1000 votes.
 
Olweny the immediate former MP polled 7840 votes against the winner Mr. Joseph Omulo Okal’s 8494 votes, the Nairobi based businessman James Onyango K’yoo received 5801 and took the third place position.
 
Other contestants were Sam Okello 2143, Mrs Agnes Odindo Ojony 205, Mr. Justus Aloo Ogeka 105 votes, Mr. Ochieng’ Ayiemba 51 votes. Mr. Tom Okech 263, Mr. Otieno Aluoka 824 votes and Mr. Solo Opudo 28 votes.
 
We are in possession of a document, which was issued and duly signed by the returning officer who supervised the Muhoroni nomination exercise Mrs. Atieno Otieno.
 
She certified Mr. Joseph Omollo Okal as the bonafide winner of the ODM nomination in Muhoroni constituency.
 
What transpired thereafter is the fact that when Okal the winner visited the party head office at Hurlingham in Nairobi on Monday morning to collect his victory certificate, he was shocked when he was told that the former MP Prof Ayiecho Olweny had already been issued with one in a mysterious circumstance.
 
Mr. Okal made a frantic effort to get the clearance in vain. Sources have since confided to us that the issuing of party’s clearance certificate was an up-hill task involving a lot of money in transaction.
 
Corruption has also raised its ugly with the unconfirmed reports and allegation that some monied aspirants parted with colossal amount of money. Some even parted with more than a million shillings each and were issued with certificates in the back door. There were a lot of under current transactions going on at the ODM headquarters.
 
Prof Ayiecho received the clearance certificate from the back door in the same fashion like the former Rangwe MP Phillip Okundi, former Nyakach MP Peter Odoyo. Corruption was even an open when some civic aspirants who had been beaten hands down during the preliminaries received their clearances.
 
The offended aspirants have allegedly pointed an accusing finger at Raila Odinga personal assistant Mr. Dave Arunga for having masterminded the rigging exercise.
 
Mr. Arunga, according to a source was instrumental for the issuing of ODM clearance certificates to Eng. Philip Okoth Okundi, who happen to be his brother-in-law. Okundi was married to Arunga’s sister the late Filgona Okundi who died in a fatal road accident a Chepsir near Kericho four years ago.
 
Raila’s PA is also being blamed for other irregular transactions in the issuance of ODM Certificates in other parts of Luo- Nyanza.
 
In Nyakach the entire groups of civic leaders who had won the preliminaries were denied clearance certificate, which were then issued to the election losers instead.
 
It is being alleged that certain characters with high connection at the ODM headquarters minfed millions of shillings and have such become the overnight millionaires.
 
Those close to the ODM election board headed by the retired High Court Judge Mr. Justice Richard Otieno Kwach have absolved Kwach of any wrongdoing but place the blame squarely in the doorsteps of Raila’s PA and other operatives.
 
Winners of the nomination were short-changed in Gem, Ugenya, Nyakach, Kasipul- Kabondo, Kisumu Town East, Kitutu Masaba, Kitutu Chache, Konoin, Kipkellion and Ainamoi.
 
In most parts of Kipsigis land the agents of the former President Daniel Arap Moi had successfully succeeded in routing out and maneuvering genuine ODM members who vied for parliamentary and civic aspirants.
 
Dr. Tom Kones, a Moi blue-eyed man who joined the race let managed to out manourve the party stalwarts like Andrew Lang’at, Nicholas Rotich, Raphael Kitur, John Terer, Donald Ngeny and the former MP Samy Koech and won the party nominations in a questionnaire circumstance which has shocked everyone.
 
In Ainamoi, a Moi’s agent Mr. David Too a former head teacher at Boito Secondary School floored several political giants like Noah N. Arap Too the immediate former MP, Eng. Kipng’eno Arap Ng’eny also a former MP for the area and the former Deputy CGS Lt. Gen (rtd) John Koech in an election result which shocked everyone.
 
Moi used the same tactics in Kipkellion constituency where Arap Lang’at (Mageror) won the preliminary beatings by names like Bishop Daniel Tawi.
 
Eng. William Rotich, Dr. Samy Ruto all former MPs for the area and clinched the nomination.
 
All Moi men were armed with million of shillings which they dished out to the electorate in a rather crazy manner!!
 
The fear now persist that the Moi agents who had infiltrated the ODM nomination could cross the floor of the August House to the PNU government side soon after winning their seats during the election proper, How Raila Odinga and his pentagon brigades plan to overcome such expected fall out is nobody’s guess work!
 
 
Ends
leooderaomomolo@yahoo.com