Raila Odinga Dissolves ODM Elections Board, Shifts Power to Counties

Opposition leader Raila Odinga has taken a new approach to managing the elections and nominations of the ODM party.

Rather than consolidating the procedure, he has chosen to entrust it to the county level. To carry out this alteration, Raila has dissolved the existing National Elections Board and formed a fresh organization known as the Coordinating Committee. This committee, comprised of three individuals, will be accountable for supervising the party's national-level elections and nominations. To preserve the party's expertise, Raila retains Richard Tairo and Emily Awita, who were previously members of the disbanded NEB, as part of the newly established NCC.

Beatrice Askul has been appointed to join the committee, which has the primary objective of guaranteeing fair elections and nominations by putting an end to the unethical practice of selling tickets to the highest bidder. This innovative approach will not only contribute to the reduction of tension and lobbying at the national level but also empower grassroots committees to oversee elections and nominations at the county level. ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, speaking after Raila chaired the Central Management Committee meeting, revealed that a committee comprising of two individuals will now be entrusted with the responsibility of supervising elections at the county level.

The dissolution of the current Election Board of the Party has resulted in a decentralized approach to election management. Going forward, every county will be overseen by a pair of Elections Coordinators, one male and one female. The NCC will now directly report to the Raila-led central management committee, rather than the National Executive Committee. This change is intended to improve efficiency, and credibility, and reinforce the significance of grassroots involvement, in alignment with the Party's devotion to devolution principles.

In accordance with the party's constitution, the proposed modifications will be presented to the relevant authorities for approval. Although the current board's term is set to conclude in 2025, Raila has chosen to terminate it prematurely. In August 2020, the team assumed their new roles as Raila undertook the task of organizing his affairs for the forthcoming 2022 elections. This decision was made in response to mounting pressure to restore order and credibility to the party's nomination process. Unfortunately, the elections board had been accused of mishandling party nominations, resulting in ODM's disappointing performance in the 2022 General Election.

Raila is set to revamp Orange House by enlisting seasoned executives and legal professionals to lead internal elections leading up to the 2027 elections. The party's previous performance saw a significant decline, with only 87 Members of the National Assembly compared to 171 in 2017.