Businessman Jimmy Wanjigi’s Meru County campaigns coordinator and Former Nkuene Ward MCA Nick Mburugu has said the businessman will open a parallel ODM office in Meru.
Nick said Wanjigi will vie through the ODM party in the 2022 presidential elections.
His sentiments have prompted other ODM officials in Meru County to publicly disagree with him.
“Wanjigi realized that leaders in Mt. Kenya were wanted to become the Mt. Kenya spokesperson. He has declared his candidacy for president, and he expects the Mt Kenya region to rally behind him. I request our spokesperson, Speaker Justin Muturi, to announce that we have a president, Jimmy Wanjigi, who intends to run on the ODM party ticket. People can now tell the difference between Justin Mututi and Jimmy Wanjigi,” says Nick Mburugu.
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Nick’s sentiments have been met with a lot of opposition from a section of officials claiming to be the legitimate ODM officials in Meru County.
Mbogo, an ODM official in Meru County said that Wanjigi has the option of working with the political misfits he was hanging out with or with ODM officials.
“I have a message for William Ruto and Jimmy Wanjigi. Wanjigi is like a brother as well as a long-time friend. He is a supporter of the ODM party, and we welcome him to Meru County. We want you to help us build the ODM party in Meru County. The existence of political brokers in Kenya is not debatable because they are well-known. Every year, they are known for duping people, and I don’t think it’s a big deal, says Mbogo.
According to Mbogo, everyone around William Ruto is a political broker, and 90% of those elected to office will not be re-elected.
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“We can all see that our dear friend Jimmy Wanjigi is looking for them. The general election on August 9, 2022, is approaching,” says Mbogo.
“I’d like to let the people of Meru know that the ODM party is active in Meru County, with members working at the grassroots level,” says Son of Monica.
Nick’s remarks that they were looking for an office in Meru County to be inaugurated by Jimmy Wanjigi drew even more criticism.
“We are currently looking for office space in Meru County for the ODM party because none exists. We’re looking for possible locations between Makutano and Gitimbine. We have some potential leads on a potential office space that will go through the inspection process. If approved, it will be furnished and a secretary will be hired, after which Wanjigi will inaugurate it. Officials from the ODM party in Meru County told journalists that the office exists,” says Nick.
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Son of Monica said the ODM party Meru County headquarters is located in Maua and was inaugurated by the party leader on April 30, 2016.
“Nick and Jimmy Wanjigi visited Meru County recently, and we welcome them. However, it should be noted that the ODM party office exists in Meru County. Despite plans to relocate it to Meru Town, it is currently used for all party operations. I urge Nick to work with the chairman, party officials, Secretary-General, and Women’s Leader in carrying out all party operations. There should be no parallel program,” Son of Monica said.
Another ODM party official said he welcomes those who wish to join the party and reminded them that they were recognized as officials in the Mashinani at the ODM orange house headquarters.
“I’d like to inform Meru County residents and Kenyans in general that the ODM party exists in Meru County with all of its delegates. Today, we met with all of the party officials, including the 9 chairmen. My message to those who believed the party had disbanded is that there is only one ODM party in Meru County. We have no doubts and are prepared to campaign for Raila Odinga,” an ODM official said.
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According to Nick, Jimmy Wanjigi and Raila Odinga will face off at the party nominations elections.
“We established mechanisms through which two delegates from each ward under MCA in Mt. Kenya will elect the flagbearer in Kasarani. The two delegates must register themselves, and we will forward the list of names. We are calling for elections to be held on December 22, 2021, and we do not expect Raila to be afraid or opposed to it,” Nick says.
Nick said the ODM party has a democratic system in place that allows anyone to run for president with the party.
“People have in the past held a negative opinion of the ODM party. People think of Raila whenever the ODM party is mentioned. The Orange Democratic Movement, which is not owned by Raila Odinga, is the name of the party,” Nick says.
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Another ODM party official said Wanjigi does not frightens them at all.
He said Wanjigi had been provided with the wrong information that the ODM party does not exist in Meru County.
He has started recruiting his own people because it has been claimed that the party does not exist in Meru County. Nick is a part of the team that misled Wanjigi. The ODM party in Meru County has a Secretary-General, a Treasurer, and nine Chairmen. The chairmen were chosen after elections were held from the top leadership all the way down to the grassroots level. The rules of the party were followed by all elected officials,” an official said.
The official said the party chairman’s seat attracted Ksh 10,000, the secretary’s seat cost Ksh 5000, and the sub-branch chairman’s seat cost Ksh 5000.
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Igembe South youth leader Maureen said the ODM party held grassroots elections in which all officials were elected.
She urged Meru County residents not to have any doubts about the party.
According to another ODM official, Raila Odinga appears to be the party’s potential presidential candidate.
“We will be at the forefront to ensure that Raila Odinga becomes the next President of Kenya,” she said.
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Another official said the party is determined to combat corruption.
He said the same people in government used corrupt methods to register party members.
“We hope Jimmy Wanjigi isn’t one of them. As members of the ODM party, we do not want our youth to be misled,” he said.
He said corrupt individuals in government used stolen public funds to offer a Ksh 1000 bribe for identification cards that were delivered to the chiefs.
