Hitch as ODM asked to rectify members’ anomalies

NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 19 – The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has been directed by the Registrar of Political Parties to amend its submitted list of members after 10,000 names were rejected by the system. 

Acting Registrar Lucy Ndung’u said that 10,000 names out of the 38,000 presented by the party had a number of inconsistencies. 

She said that part of the anomaly could have resulted from the fact that those recruited were not previously registered voters.

The computer system at the Registrar’s does not allow one person to be registered in more than one political party. 

“We have been in communication with individual parties through emails, SMS, summoning them to the office and have as yet not refused to register any party,” she insisted.

She said that ODM had by far surpassed the requirements on the recruitment on members and that she could not deny them registration based on membership.

The Political Parties Act provides that a provisionally registered party shall be registered if it has among other conditions, recruited (as members,) not fewer than one thousand registered voters from each of more than half of the counties.

ODM Secretary General Anyang’ Nyong’o termed earlier reports that ODM’S application for registration was rejected as false and malicious.

A statement form the party said that it had submitted over 130,000 members for registration some of whom were found to either have been not registered voters, registered by other political parties or lacking insufficient information on the registration process.

“The facts are that ODM has fully complied with the requirements of the Political Parties Act and is awaiting the issuance of Certificate of full registration by the Registrar of Political Parties,” read the statement.

“ODM remains the only party with the highest number of Counties with over 1,000 members each as at 10th of April 2012 and by the close of the 30th April deadline, ODM will have cleared all the 47 Counties,”  the statement sent on Thursday evening read.

During its presentation of papers for full registration Nyong’o petitioned the registrar to take action on parties that will have been found to have registered members using unconventional means.

So far 34 parties have applied for official registration while only six have been granted full registration.

About The Author