Orange Democratic Movement to hold party primary
Kenya’s Orange Democratic Movement will begin its party primaries today.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) expects to conduct the primaries via universal suffrage of registered members. Primary elections in the country have been marked by chaos and violence especially as it pertains to Kenya’s Orange Democratic Movement as candidates have fought over accusations of ballot stuffing.
The ODM hopes that holding party primaries involving all registered members will increase the credibility of elections and boost support for whoever is elected. ODM leader Raila Odinga has already promised to revamp the Kenyan economy by placing an emphasis on investing in meat factories, in an effort to support pastoralism in the country. The ODM has also attempted to appeal to regional voters by promising to prioritize climate adaptation systems to combat droughts and floods.
In the medium term, the primaries will have an impact on the Presidential elections in August with ODM’s leader Raila Odinga gaining the support of former rival and current President Uhuru Kenyatta, bringing together two of Kenya’s top political dynasties. This union between Kenya’s top political parties may indicate an effort to prevent a collapse in upcoming elections which would be a blow to Kenya’s capacity to continue as a key leader and stabilizer in a turbulent East Africa. Political instability may spill over to neighboring countries in a domino effect reminiscent of West Africa’s recent coups d’état.
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