The recent campaign forays by ODM leader Raila Odinga in Western Kenya appear to have set the stage for a bruising contest between the party and the Democratic Action Party-Kenya (DAP-K) in the region.
The tussle between ODM and DAP-K revolves around the fielding of candidates for governor, senator, MP and ward representative.
During his campaign tour, Mr Odinga handed nomination certificates to MPs Tindi Mwale (Butere), Christopher Aseka (Khwisero) and Titus Khamala (Lurambi), who had defected from Amani National Congress to DAP-K, and MPs Bernard Shinali (Ikolomani) and Emmanuel Wangwe (Navakholo), whom had ditched Jubilee.
The ODM strategy in the region seeks to counter the onslaught from the DAP-K, an affiliate party of Azimio la Umoja and the Kenya Kwanza alliance.
The move by ODM to give direct nomination tickets to aspirants seeking to contest in the August 9 General Election has triggered jitters among aspirants in the region.
The party has explained that direct tickets were issued in areas where there was no need for competitive nominations.
In Kakamega County, ODM did not issue direct certificates to aspirants in Shinyalu, Likuyani, Luagri and Malava during Mr Odinga’s tour.
In Shinyalu, MP Justus Kizito is expected to face former MP Silverse Lisamula Anami in the nominations for the ODM ticket.
During Mr Odinga stopover in Shinyalu market, Suna East MP Junet Mohamed had to intervene after crowds started heckling as Mr Kizito was speaking.
Mr Kizito was forced to cut short his speech after Mr Junet pulled away the microphone as the heckling intensified at the meeting that had just kicked off.
Shinyalu market is a stronghold of Mr Anami, making it difficult for Mr Kizito to address the meeting because of the hostile crowds.
In Lugari, the fight for the ODM ticket pits Mr Nabii Nabwera, a close ally of Mr Odinga and Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, against nominated Senator Inimah Getrude Musuruve.
Lugari MP Ayub Savula defected from ANC to DAP-K but joined the campaigns to popularise Mr Odinga’s presidential bid in Western.
In the 2017 polls, ODM was punished heavily by voters in Kakamega County and other parts of the Western region following bungled nominations.
In Kakamega, ODM clinched the Shinyalu and Mumias West parliamentary seats, while ANC won the five seats in constituencies that were previously dominated by the Orange party.
ANC clinched the Lugari, Lurambi, Khwisero, Butere and Matungu seats, while Jubilee won Navakholo, Mumias East and Malava.
Governor Oparanya, ODM deputy party leader, has been campaigning to ensure the party clinches victory in the region in the August polls.
Discontent among aspirants who feel they have been shortchanged could return to haunt ODM as it did in the 2017 polls.
But Mr Odinga reassured voters in Western that if he clinches the presidency, he will ensure that collapsed sugar factories in the region are revived.
ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi and Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula have accused Mr Odinga of having a hand in the collapse of Mumias Sugar.
But Mr Odinga blames the collapse of Mumias Sugar and other state-run factories in Western Kenya on poor management and cartels involved in flooding the market with cheaper imported sugar to make quick profits.
