Category: Breaking News

The National Elections Board (NEB) wishes to update all Party members and supporters on the progress of consultations with Party officials and members on the ongoing Party’s grassroots elections.  So far NEB has concluded consultations in twenty eight (28) Counties, some of which have concluded their elections while in others, the exercise is ongoing. We urge the members in these Counties to continue building consensus to ensure an all-inclusive non-adversarial elective process. 

The ODM Party structures are so broad as to adequately accommodate all party interest groups. We congratulate the counties that have held their consultations and invited the NEB to receive their final consensus lists. Any County that has finalized with the harmonization process should get in touch with the NEB on 0757242495 to guide on the next steps. Please do not go to the Party’s National Secretariat to submit any lists.

The Board has received complaints in a few instances where some Party members have been excluded from the process. We strongly condemn these acts and urge our members to be vigilant and reject any process that is not consultative and inclusive.  
We wish to remind all that divergent views and opinions and political rivalry among members is healthy and cannot be a basis for excluding Party members from this exercise. 

NEB will not recognize any list of officials that is arrived at through unilateral processes that fail to follow the Rules. We particularly wish to urge the Counties that have not had consultations with NEB to be patient and await their turn in this exercise.  The NEB also wishes to caution members against following any misinformation on this exercise by the media. The 18th September 2021 deadline that has widely been quoted is only for some Counties that agreed on this date with NEB. 

The deadline for each County is agreed upon during the consultative meetings. At no given time has the NEB given a deadline for all Counties to conclude the grassroots elections. As for the Counties that the NEB is yet to visit, we urge them to continue caucusing in preparation as they wait for NEB to consult and determine when to visit. In instances where there are factions, county teams are encouraged to bring each and every group on board. 

Finally, then NEB wishes to urge all supporters who have not yet registered as members to quickly do so by 30th September 2021 when the period for free membership registration will end. NOTE that ONLY REGISTERED MEMBERS can participate in party grassroots elections.Tuko Tayari!

Catherine Mukeya Mumma

CHAIRPERSON-NATIONAL ELECTIONS BOARD

President Uhuru Kenyatta and visiting Estonian leader Kersti Kaljulaid have said Kenya and Estonia will partner in championing for the protection of multilateralism on the global stage.

They said the system guarantees fairness and justice in the global stage, and vowed to use the two countries non-permanent membership on the UN Security Council to jointly advance multilateralism.

President Kenyatta and his guest spoke on Thursday evening at State House, Nairobi, during a cocktail party held in honour of the visiting Estonian leader.

President Kenyatta said Kenya and Estonia had agreed to work together in pursuit of common goals such as regional and global peace, climate change and the gender agenda.

“We are countries that are interested in regional and global peace, countries that are interested in seeing the multilateralism system work, countries that are interested in seeing private sector fully entrenched, creating jobs and opportunities especially for our young people,” President Kenyatta said.

He said Kenya and Estonia had succeeded in exploiting talents and skills of their citizens to build their economies through the deployment of digital technologies.

On her part, President Kaljulaid said she had been impressed by Kenya’s use of digital technologies in public service delivery, and advised the country to consider tightening its cyber security protocols so as to ensure that the systems are tamper proof.

The Estonian leader said her country will partner with Kenya in pushing for global issues that affect small countries especially climate change, cyber security and peace.

“We are actually together in the (UN) Security Council and we all know why small nations are elected to the security council. This is because we adhere to international rules and regulations,” President Kaljulaid said.

She assured that Estonia will partner with Kenya in advocating for the enactment of laws that will ensure a safer international cyber security environment.

“We have been pushing digital security issues at the security council because after all when we are doing digital transformation. Our sovereignty will one day depend on how our systems work,” President Kaljulaid said.

The Estonian said her country was determined to forge a strong technology partnership with Kenya that will see the two countries share expertise in the area.

“We have wonderful start up communities who are young and dynamic and have a saturated market, therefore we’ve turned our eyes to this continent. As leaders, what we are doing is follow our people, our businesses and that’s why the relationship between Kenya, Africa and Estonia has developed quickly,” President Kaljulaid said.

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga on 9th September 2021, also held a high profile meeting with a visiting President in Nairobi.

Raila has met visiting Estonian President, H.E Kersti Kaljulai to discuss a wide range of issues of common interest between Kenya and Astonia.

The meeting has seen Raila and President Kaljulaid discuss matters including ways through which Kenya may adopt the methods to hasten the country’s digital advancement.

“Had a great conversation with visiting Estonian President, H.E Kersti Kaljulaid. Estonia ranks top amongst digitally advanced countries globally. We discussed ways through which we may adopt methods to hasten our advancement. We will follow up,” Raila said.

STATEMENT OF GRATITUDE TO MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FOR PASSING THE BBI BILL.

Karl Marx once opined that “Men make their own history. But they do not make it just as they please; they do not make it under circumstances chosen by themselves, but under given circumstances directly encountered, given and transmitted from the past.”

Our past Socio, political and Economic circumstances necessitated a need for a country wide driven dialogue and the voices of the people were captured in the BBI document. 

Yesterday, Parliament heeded to the clarion call as the representatives of the people and passed the BBI bill. Thence, I would wish to convey a heartfelt gratitude to the Minority side and the Majority side led by Hon. Amos Kimunyafor their overwhelming support and purvey of unity of purpose and commitment to the course.

In my capacity as the Minority leader in the National Assembly, I would wish to thank The Minority Whip Hon. Junet Mohammed, his Deputy Hon. Eseli Simiyu and my Deputy Minority leader Hon. Robert Mbui for rallying the Minority side to deliver over 2/3rds of the votes which is no mean feat given how contentious the bill has been. 

Through us as lawmakers, Kenyans not only entrust their sovereignty with us but they also dare have a dalliance with hope; and we indulge them in that hope through our legislative duty to pass laws and bills that convey a better future for this and coming generation.

Finally, I appreciate President Uhuru Kenyatta and Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, my Party leader who selflessly elected to move the country from political Sodom; let us not look back, lest we perish and become a monument of infamy and derision to the world. Their guidance has been illuminating and impeccable. 

Thank you and God Bless Kenya.

Signed 

Hon. CPA John Mbadi, EGH, MP.

Minority Leader, National Assembly.

The national political conversation has been awash with speculation of changing allegiances and budding alliances. Being the biggest and most experienced player on the scene, ODM has been mentioned quite a bit. Knowing that partnerships are an essential part of our politics, the Orange Democratic Movement is also working on a broader, better and bolder alliance that will shake the country and shape the politics of the land for years to come. As an avowed centre-left movement, our ideals of social democracy and desire to empower the masses and fight poverty hold supreme above all else. 

The new alliance will have younger and fresh blood with clear ideological positions on the issues of the day. As a party, we are done with the fading breed of tribal politicians whose singular focus over the years has been on what they can extract from our sweat, and from the country. We are focused on an Alliance that adds to the national discourse not what it gets, a coalition that adds not takes away from us. Our record of building coalitions, building bridges with perceived enemies and propping up younger and energetic leaders speaks for itself. 

We are working on one again. But it is not just coalitions and alliances we are working on. We are strengthening ourselves as a party and preparing to compete everywhere in the country. In some places we will fight alone. In others, we will fight alongside allies. 

Party supporters and members need to look forward to a new order and let those coalescing around their perceived tribal bases in the hopes of blackmailing others to endorse them be. The post BBI alliance ODM is working on will be fresh, strong, vibrant and packed with men and women who can stand on their own and give birth to a new nation post- BBI. 

Edwin Sifuna Secretary General

 25th March 2021

On January 21, 2021 the National Elections Board sent out a notice declaring the commencement of the process of nomination for ODM presidential candidate. Persons interested therein were required to meet the criteria spelt in both the Constitution of Kenya and ODM Party Constitution and submit their applications not later than February 26, 2021.

Following a request by some of the interested candidates, the deadline for submission of application was extended to March 31,2021.

We wish to inform our members that as of close of business yesterday, the following persons had submitted their applications in the prescribed manner:

1. JOHO, Ali Hassan
2. ODINGA, Raila Amolo
3. OPARANYA, Wycliffe Ambetsa

The NEB shall scrutinize the three applications, vet the candidates as required by the ODM Elections and Nomination Rules and subsequent thereto announce the next processes and time table in accordance with the ODM Constitution.

Catherine Muyeka Mumma
CHAIRPERSON – NATIONAL ELECTIONS BOARD

Ladies and gentlemen of the media. Tomorrow, Parliament will commence a two day special sitting to deliberate on a number of critical national issues. One of thee critical issues is the Constitution of Kenya Amendment Bill 2020 or the BBI Bill as it is popularly known. I called you here to make clear the position of the orange Democratic Movement on that Bill and to advise all our MPs to align themselves accordingly. It is the party’s position that Parliament should pass the BBI Bill as it is, in it’s entirety.

This is therefore a rallying call to our members to align themselves accordingly with the party position. It is also an appeal to our members and supporters out there to prepare to vote for the Bill once it is presented to them in the referendum. Statecraft is an exercise in constant negotiations and give and take. In that process, you win some and lose some but you soldier on. That is the case with the BBI and the Bill it has produced.

As a party, we may not have got everything we had wished for. In fact, no party has got everything it wished for. But there are some very important gains in the BBI that we would not want to throw out just because we did not get everything. ODM has always advocated for strengthening of Devolved units and increased funding for those units. The BBI Bill increases funding to counties and extends funds to thewards. That is a gain we can’t throw away. ODM has been very vocal on fighting corruption.

The BBI Bill has some very practical and radical proposals on how to stop corruption from being a way of life in Kenya. We do not want to throw away those proposals. ODM has always stood up for equitable sharing of the wealth of the nation. Equity has been our rallying call as a party since our inception. The BBI has some very solid proposals on how to ensure shared prosperity in the country. We do not want to throw away those proposals. ODM supporters have borne the brunt of election violence in this country. We know what happened in 2007, 2013 and 2017. BBI has some solid proposals on how to end the culture of election violence and the winner takes all brand of our politics. We don’t want to lose those proposals.

The BBI Bill has some very solid proposals on how to help our youth and turn them into innovators and entrepreneurs, how to make them creators and not seekers of jobs, and how to make them self-reliant. We do not want to lose those gains. Even the gender representation question is getting resolved through the BBI. And for the first time, this country is confronting the question of how to ensure productivity through industrialization and enhanced manufacturing. That is a gain in the BBI that we cannot afford to lose. But tthese are just but a few among the many gains that comes with BBI.

ODM stands in full support of the Bill and calls for its passage in totality. And we stand solidly, side by side, with H.E President Uhuru Kenyatta and his brother Rt Hon Raila Odinga in their quest to fix Kenya through partnership and honest engagement. We urge President Kenyatta and the ODM leader Raila Odinga to soldier on. Mr President and Rt Hon Raila Odinga, get this assurance from us as a party: You have enough troops both behind you and by your sides to help you push this agenda through. Do not be afraid. Do not be distracted. Do not be blackmailed. We are in this battle together.

Thank you and God bless Kenya.

HON. CPA JOHN MBADI, EGH, MP NATIONAL CHAIRMAN,

ODM LEADER OF MINORITY PARTY,

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF KENYA.