The key architects of Azimio la Umoja are upset at the push by a section of ODM leaders in Kajiado County to have affiliate parties field their own candidates to face off with those from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
ODM leader Raila Odinga’s series of meetings in the county recently have exposed efforts to frustrate Azimio la Umoja’s bid for joint tickets.
Two weeks ago, Mr Odinga was forced to engineer an elusive handshake between Governor Joseph Ole Lenku, former governor David Nkedianye and former Olkejuado County Council Chairman Tarayia Ole Kores.
The former Prime Minister underscored the need for the three leaders to work together to avert a fallout that might cost Azimio elective seats.
The three gubernatorial hopefuls are united in pushing for an Odinga presidency but differ on whether ODM and Jubilee parties should field their own candidates or have Azimio’s.
Mr Odinga and the ODM top brass are rallying both parties to have joint candidates for key county positions.
Governor Lenku, nominated Senator Judy Pareno and a retinue of ODM and Jubilee MCAs support joint Azimio tickets to bolster Mr Odinga’s votes in a county that has voted in majority Jubilee candidates in the last two elections.
However, Mr Nkedianye, his running mate-designate and Kajiado North Jubilee MP Joseph Manje, and Kajiado Central MP Elijah Memusi want ODM to field its own candidates. The push by the three is seen as an attempt to secure ODM tickets without breaking a sweat, as happened in 2017.
Mr Memusi has publicly told ODM to use its “network and intelligence” to identify popular candidates, saying, he fears the use of big money to influence the outcome of the nominations.
“Now that we’re supporting Raila Odinga for president, I want to see Lenku and Nkedienye run separately with their own parties,” Mr Memusi said at a rally causing uproar from the crowd.
Mr Memusi has previously said ODM stalwarts won’t participate in joint party primaries with “newcomers”.
Mr Manje repeated that Kajiado votes belong to President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga, so Mr Lenku and Mr Nkedianye should be allowed to run separately.
“We want to choose our governor from the ones running under Azimio,” he said.
Mr Nkedianye has been meeting ODM supporters and assuring them that he will be on the ballot on an ODM ticket.
But in several political rallies, Governor Lenku has rubbished the Azimio affiliate parties’ push for separate tickets, arguing, this would give UDA a field day.
“ODM and Jubilee are one under Azimio. If we’re combining votes for the President, why not combine votes for other positions? We want Raila to win together with his army of candidates,” he said.
“Going to the polls in different parties negates the aspirations of Azimio la Umoja. It’s a fact that we have strong rivals out there; any slight division of votes will affect the poll outcome for Azimio,” the governor warned.
“Winning a political seat is easy, but uniting our people is the daunting task. Let’s avoid political sideshows and divisive politics,” the governor said, telling his rivals not to chicken out as the joint nominations will be free and fair.
Mr Kores, who supports consensus in choosing the gubernatorial candidate, said: “Let’s look at the bigger picture. We can only have one governor. Whoever becomes the candidate, we shall support. The president can accommodate those who miss out... It is that simple.”
