Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

THE just concluded ODM primary in many parts of Luo-Nyanza was a sham reflecting a political movement in crisis with its members.

It has since sparked off discontent and complaints which the party supreme at the headquarters should move with the snake speed and have the anomalies rectified before the March 4, 2013.

The primaries were marred by acts of hooliganism and political thuggery of the highest order. The marauding goons moving in groups of between 30 or more made it sure that no credible primary nomination took place.

The outgoing MPs from the region stand lamed for the lawlessness and criminal activities meted out by their supporters to the genuine voters who had turned out in their thousands ready to caste their votes and chose leaders who would take the community to the next level of development.

The voters in several parliamentary constituencies were in actual sense de-franchised and denied their rights of voting.

In the newly created Kabondo-Kasipul constituency in Rachuonyo South district, the ballot papers and other election material arrived late close to noon hour. But some of the aspirants, particularly the populist Hebert Ojwang’ had his name missing from the ballot papers.

In the neighboring Kasipul about 50 goons raided a polling station near Agoro-Sare High School within Oyugis Town and seized all the election materials. The goons sent the presiding officer and his entire team of election clerks fleeing for their dear lives.

Another bunch of hired political goons invaded five polling station in Kachien location, destroyed ballot papers and other election materials forcing the stations to be closed prematurely, though the election material had arrived late from Nairobi. Despite of high provocation, the voters persevered and continue voting into the late hours of darkness, but only for the goons to return again , ransacking the polling station n seized ballot boxes and destroyed them.

In Homa-Bay Town a presiding officer by the name Mulei was ambushed at 4.a.m and beaten senseless and left for the dead by un known goons.AS A RESULT BALLOT BOXES AND VOTING Election materials meant for for the neighboring constituencies of Mbita, Gwassi, Ndhiwa, Homa-Bay Town, Rangwe and other places were displaced like Mbita, Ndhiwa, Gwassi .Homa-Bay Town, Rangwe and other places went missing. The region was later become awash with rumours of ballot papers being recovered mysterious at places like Kodiera, Mbita Junction .

Election materials which arrived in Mbita Town were found to be inadequate. However, the aspirants jointly reached a consensus after consultation to produce duplicates of the few ballot papers that had arrived late in the evening on the first day of the nomination. All the ballot papers and election material were kept at Mbita Town offices of the ODM. But the next morning the office was found to have been broken and all the material missing either destroyed with no trace.

The same goons are said to have set a blaze dozens of ballot boxes containing ballot papers in Ndhiwa Town not far away from the local |D.C’s office and got away scot-free with this heinous crime. The song was the same in Awendo and Rongo constituencies as well as in the neighboring Uriri, In all those places no voting took place on the first day. The reason being non-arrival of the elections materials and the election official having failed to turn up in time to serve the electorate.

Thousand of the would be enthusiastic voters who turned out in their thousands went home disappointed after waiting for the whole day with no election material on sight. The situation became so pathetic and the disillusioned and frustrated voters walked home.

From the looking of things it appeared as if all the outgoing MPs in Luo-Nyanza had conspired secretly with some top officials of the ODM at the Orange house, Nairobi and hatched a secret plan so the frustrated the outgoing MPs could maintain their status quo.

These anomalies were experiences in Siaya, Migori and all other places. In Siaya a vehicle packed with crude weapons were intercepted by police and close to 32 occupants nabbed.

IN Nyakach voting did not take place in five sub-location with over 3,000 registered voters, though the returning officer a Mr Okoth defiantly announced the result in favor of one of the aspirants. Similar incidents were evidence everywhere.

In some places even police and members of the Provincial administration appeared to have been compromised. They became toothless bulldogs and made no effort to prevent crime or any act which fueled violence in the polling stations.

What emerged was that political parties are not capable of organizing successful and credible nomination exercises in this country and the sooner political parties deliberated on this issue and found a solution the better.

The abrasive Raila Odinga’s cousin Jakoyo Midiwo of Gem was one of the leading casualities and so was the Prime Minister own elder brother Dr. Oburu Ogings the Finance Assistant Minister whose bid to become the first governor of Siaya suffered the heaviest blow.

Ends