By Sandra Blessings
The chickens have finally come home to roost, and the Raila Odinga-led Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is receiving a dose of its own poison.
For the past two decades, the ODM ticket for various elective posts has been a pricey document, costing aspirants millions of shillings.
Some of the aspirants, despite spending millions to secure the documents, have failed in the pursuit…
Instead, they have joined the long list of ODM nomination victims whose ambitions have been buried in the grave.
Some have been auctioned while others have suffered strokes and eventually died from frustrations and dejection after the loss.
Successful ones have become sycophants in a bid to continue securing the ticket.
But the changing political dynamics in the country have witnessed the devaluation of the ODM ticket in its stronghold.
Party Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna had warned that the party was losing popularity, with aspirants shying away from it.
He said the scramble for the party ticket, which was common in the past, has been replaced by reluctance.
In Kakamega County, where the party once dominated, it has witnessed dwindling fortunes.
To cap it all, ODM failed to get a candidate for Malava Constituency and instead opted to support a UDA candidate for the seat.
And yesterday, the party suffered another shock when assumed candidate for Kisa East Ward, Thomas Omurunga Oyolo, returned the party nomination ticket.
Oyolo declined the offer, saying he had moved to DAP-K and that the award of the ticket was done without consultations.
He wrote: “I, Thomas Omurunga Oyolo, on 12th September, was awarded a nomination certificate to contest for Kisa East Ward in the coming by-election slated for 27th November 2025, and for reasons best known to me.
It is regrettable that the nomination certificate was drawn and issued in my name before consultations could reach their logical conclusion.
By the time ODM was reaching out to me, my name had already been forwarded to DAP-K where I am duly registered as a life member.
I hand back the nomination certificate given to me in good faith by the NECC.
I take this opportunity to thank the ODM party leadership and NECC for believing in my candidacy.
I will forever remain grateful and loyal to the party.
I hereby consent to NECC to fill in the preferred candidate by the ODM Kakamega County office.”
This is a blow to ODM, which is currently facing a possible fall-out with some leaders opposed to the broad-based government arrangement.
ODM is expected to celebrate its 20th anniversary later this month in Nairobi.
