Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party Leader Raila Odinga has announced the party’s preparation for grassroots elections this year.

Raila said the party has begun with mass membership recruitment countrywide ahead of anticipated national party elections slated for April.

The Orange party is seeking to redeem its dwindling image and strengthen it ahead of 2027, Odinga says the move is aimed at giving an opportunity to Kenyans from across the country to register as new members.

Speaking in Mombasa on Wednesday, Raila confirmed the massive membership recruitment drive started in November last year and will end in March, followed by elections in April and a subsequent national delegates meeting in June.

Membership recruitment

“We are in the process of membership recruitment, you know that our party holds elections every five years, and recruitment of membership is continuous, we started in the month of November and it will continue till March this year, “said Raila.

This comes even as concerns continue within the party about the decline in its activities that has given its rivals a platform to eat into some of its support bases.

The elections will pave way for new office bearers in the chairmanship and secretary general positions respectively. Nominated MP John Mbadi is the current national chairman of the party while Edwin Sifuna is the Secretary General.

 “We will do our party elections in April, and then do a national delegate’s convention between May and June this 2024,” said Raila while addressing journalists at a media briefing in Mombasa on Wednesday.

Aborted midway

ODM has never attempted to conduct its elections since 2014 when a planned exercise at Kasarani aborted midway. Trouble started when a group of delegates led by a then nominated MP caused mayhem at the venue destroying ballot boxes and election materials.

Raila accompanied by Mombasa ODM party Chairman Mohamed Hamis, Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir, Mombasa women rep Zamzam Mohamed, Mombasa senator Mohamed Faki and Mombasa county assembly speaker Kharub Khatri.

As part of the efforts to further entrench his support in the coastal region, Raila expressed confidence with ODM Party officials in Mombasa County, which he said is strong enough to galvanise votes for his party.

Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir confirmed that his relationship with Raila and the ODM party is still intact even after his rivals questioned him for working with the Kenya Kwanza Administration. Nassir on Wednesday said there is nothing that can separate him from Raila.

“I didn’t go to receive Raila Odinga at the airport because I was attending a burial, which does not mean there is a problem, we are fully in ODM and we are here to stay,” said Nassir.