President Uhuru Kenyatta and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga have devised a new approach to determine popular candidates to fly the coalition’s flag in the August 9 General Election.
The duo has hired a pollster to conduct research that will help in determining popular candidates who will be offered straight tickets based on the results of the scientific method.
“The study will assist us to manage sibling rivalry. There will be an Azimio candidate for all positions throughout the nation,” Muriithi said.
Edwin Sifuna, the ODM Secretary General confirmed that this is the new technique that will be used to figure out who the popular candidates are and support them.
“In instances where we find a favourite candidate belonging to a different party, we will reach out to them. If we find that the person leading in the opinion poll is leaning towards UDA, we shall convince them to join us. We poach them and give them an offer to be our candidate,” Sifuna stated.
They hope to cover 30 more counties in the coming weeks.
“We are making it clear that it’s the science that will guide us. In many of these areas, we are going to use the science to give direct tickets. We need not to subject aspirants to an elective process when we know who is ahead of the others,” Sifuna said.
If an aspirant has more than 20-30 percentage points over the others, ODM will issue a direct ticket.
“We shall only use the delegates and party members when it is determined that the science cannot separate them when they are maybe between plus, minus five (+-5). In this case we shall then deploy another method. Clear favourite will be given tickets,” said Sifuna.
Political parties have until March 26 to submit names of their members for the nominations process.
The timeline has certainly triggered havoc in the strongholds of both Odinga’s Azimio la Umoja movement and Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
Previously, parties were open to anyone who was a registered voter in a particular constituency.
However, opponents of this provision argue that it gives party leaders an advantage in handing over certificates to close allies because they control the party lists.
While approximately 22.1 million Kenyans are registered to vote in the August elections, only a few are listed as political party members.