Kenya;Raila sets up unit for voter registration, ODM establishes ID directorate in strongholds
Raila Odinga's ODM is banking on its new party structure that extends right to the polling station to leverage on the mass voter registration that begins next week.
The Star has established that the former Prime Minister has also established a directorate of IDs and voter registration, complete with a call centre to ensure round-the-clock monitoring of the exercise.
These are among the strategies Raila is using to ensure maximum registration in his strongholds.
READY: Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, Cord co-principal Kalonzo Musyoka, Cord leader Raila Odinga, Malindi ODM by-election candi- date Willy Mtengo, Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula and Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi campaign in Malindi yesterday. S
He seeks to reverse President Uhuru Kenyatta’s “tyranny of numbers” factor that saw Jubilee win the presidency and the majority in both Houses in 2013.
Raila's loss in 2013 has been blamed partly on lack of proper voter registration in his political bedrocks.
Last week, the Cord leader openly told his supporters he will not lament again in 2017 that his votes have been stolen.
“Just register, vote and leave the rest to me – but, this time round, I am not coming to tell you my votes have been stolen,” Raila said on Ramogi FM, a Dholuo vernacular radio station.
The Orange Party is set to roll out a tight schedule of training for its officials at the sub-county level cascaded right to the grassroots.
“Officials at the polling stations would ensure that everybody in their area is registered. With the help of sub-branch and sub-county officials, these statistics must be communicated to the headquarters on a daily basis,” our source disclosed.
Former Wiper executive director Brigadier Henry Rop and Noah Akala head the directorate of IDs and voter registration at the Cord secretariat.
Contacted for a comment, ODM director of Elections Junet Mohammed only remarked, “these are top party secrets”.
The IEBC’s 30-day mass voter registration exercise is set from Monday next week to March 15, with the commission targeting at least 4.8 million voters this year alone.
Last year, ODM announced sweeping new changes to its governing structure, creating a two-tier system with bases at the national and county levels.
Already, the
