Over the next three days, Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party must navigate a thorny, but pivotal moment in its history.
The elections scheduled to begin on Thursday will either cement ODM’s acknowledged perch as Kenya’s most popular party, or leave it wounded and limping into the General Election due next year.
The party that carried the hopes of millions in the ill-fated 2007 elections wants to use its internal polls to settle pending housekeeping issues and strengthen its grassroots presence.
However, ODM also hopes to avoid a repeat of the chaotic scenes and falling out that beset a similar exercise five years ago, marred by violence in parts of Nyanza after supporters of rival candidates faced off.
And in some cases, there were even no elections to speak of after candidates invoked the name of the ODM party leader and forcefully claimed victory.
Among the constituencies worst hit by violence in 2007 ODM party elections were Karachuonyo, Ugenya, Rongo, and Rarieda.
The Standard
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