The Kilifi County Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Coordinating Committee has said that the party will field candidates in all elective positions in the county during the 2027 General Election, including those being held by the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party except for the presidency.
Led by Governor Gideon Mung’aro, Senator Stewart Madzayo and Women Representative Getrude Mbeyu, the leaders said they were open to competition with all parties as they also organized a grassroots mobilization strategy that will boost party membership and number of voters.
“We have discovered that some of our members are not registered as members of the party and also as voters and that is what the grassroots mobilization will do, so that we have enough party members and also a high number of voters,” he said.
Mung’aro added that the party had accepted to practice democracy with UDA in choosing popular candidates who will help get votes for President William Ruto’s re-election.
“We invited all candidates irrespective of their parties for nominations and we encourage defectors to join ODM so that the party can be strong,” he said.
Madzayo said that the party will not field a presidential candidate in respect to the Broad-based Government arrangement but it will instead focus on the 2032 General Election.
“It is only this coming general election that we have accepted to support Ruto for his second term but in 2032 our party will have a presidential candidate,” he said.
Mbeyu warned ODM members against party hopping saying that they will be punished if found.
“We have some members who shift parties depending on events and they are our ODM members. I warn them that they should stick to the party or we will drive them out,” she said.
Joseph Chilumo, who is the vice chairman of the Kilifi County Coordinating Committee, said that the top three county seats including Governor, Senator and Women Representative will not be contested but the party will field candidates in all other electing posts currently being held by UDA, a move that is expected to raffle feathers within the broad-based arrangement.
“We have three positions of Governor, Senator and Women Representative which we will not allow to be taken away because they’re reserved for ODM but the rest of the positions including the Kilifi North seat, we shall field a candidate,” he said.
Currently, ODM has four MPs who are Amina Mnyazi of Malindi, Ken Chonga of Kilifi South, Harry Kombe of Magarini and Kaloleni’s Paul Katana while UDA has Kilifi North’s Owen Baya and Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) defectors Kenneth Kazungu of Ganze and his Rabai counterpart Kenga Mupe.
