Aspirants seeking the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ticket in Kasipul Constituency have voiced strong concerns over what they believe could be a ploy to rig the upcoming party nominations.
Speaking on Monday, the candidates accused party officials of poor communication, suggesting it could be a sign of interference in the process. With only a few days to go before the nominations, they lamented that crucial details such as the returning officer and tallying centre had not been communicated to all contenders.
“If it were going to be a free and fair nomination, by now we would have already known who is going to stand in for this election,” one aspirant said. “We are warning anyone planning to steal our votes to try somewhere else, not Kasipul.”
The aspirants emphasized that the ODM of today should uphold democracy, unlike in the past where alleged irregularities were ignored. They warned that any attempt to manipulate the will of the people in favor of a preferred candidate would be strongly resisted.
“We all want this position, but let the people decide. Do not decide in your house,” another candidate asserted. “The democracy we demand at the national level must also be practiced at the constituency level.”
The candidates further expressed concern that only one aspirant had so far received official information regarding the nomination details. They claimed this selective communication pointed to possible bias.
They cautioned that should ODM allow external interests from county leaders with personal stakes to influence the outcome, the party risked losing credibility in Kasipul.
With tensions rising, the aspirants called on the ODM leadership to guarantee a transparent and fair nomination process, warning that anything less could erode public trust in the party ahead of the next election.
