The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has started strengthening its base in the North Rift Region to outshine Kanu and UDA parties ahead of 2022 politics.
Party officials in the West Pokot County have begun a massive popularization and registration of members to the Party saying that it is the only party in the North Rift region that will sail through come elections next year.
They said that they are putting in measures to ensure that the Pokot region becomes solely the backyard of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
West Pokot county is known and perceived to be a Kanu zone and also under the control of Deputy President William Ruto .
Party officials in the county led by ODM Party women league leader Rodah Katalai have told the Kanu and the new United Democratic Alliance Party (UDA) supporters to be ready for a bruising battle.
Ms Katalai noted that they will kick off consolidating members to join the party so that come 2022 the party will wrestle with others in different seats.
Speaking to the press on Sunday in Kapenguria, the officials who are calling on ODM leader Raila Odinga to visit the area and open ODM offices said they have started massive recruitment of ODM members in the region.
Katalai said that they have laid down strategies to increase its grassroots membership in the region to enable the party’s flag bearer, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, to win the 2022 elections.
“We want to take over power. We shall hit the ground in every ward to make sure we get more slots in the county assembly and deliver a good percentage of votes,”said Katalai.
She cited that the ODM party stands for Justice and is ready to battle out with the Tanga tanga outfit in the area.
“They should not undermine our party because we are sure the next leadership of this country will come from ODM,”Katalai said.
She said the party will start recruiting more members to make the party strong and have regular meetings.
“We want to change the narrative of ODM in this county. We are doing grassroots recruitment .We want to begin a journey with no hitches,”said Katalai.
She said the party had re-energized as it strives to outwit other parties that have been more popular in the region in the past.
Katalai pointed out that they are behind the Building Bridges Initiative [BBI] hence optimistic that the Court of Appeal will bring it back.
“BBI will be back, we are ready to go for the referendum and we shall get more funds to counties hence rural women will benefit. Devolution has benefited us,”she said.
She noted that they have an ODM Office in the County and registration was ongoing at grass roots.
“No party ready like ODM in this County. Kanu and UDA have no strength .People will only eat their money and vote for ‘Babah’,”she said.
Katalai said that West Pokot was number one in Rift valley to pass BBI in the county assembly.
“County assembly, national assembly and senate passed the BBI bill and those opposed to it are jokers,”she said.
Mr Nicholas Domokwang an ODM member said ODM is a national party and it has all it takes to take the Country’s leadership.
“From 2007 our ODM office is still on and our members are intact,”he said.
He said that they will be involved in selling party policies in all the four constituencies in the county with a view of getting more members enlisted.
“We have plans of reaching more people in the grassroots as we aim to take more representatives of the party in the county as well as in the national assembly in the next general elections,” said Domokwang .
