Statement by ODM on Bonachari By-Elections

From Twitter/@TheODMParty

Press Statement

Desperate times call for desperate measures. As the ODM parliamentary candidate Eng. Pavel Oimeke opens an unassailable lead in race for Bonchari Constituency National Assembly seat in the by election to be held on Tuesday May 18, 2021, desperate and unorthodox responses have been directed at him and the entire ODM campaign team.

Yesterday, the police —wielding guns, truncheons and teargas —stalked the campaign entourage led by Kisii Woman Representative, Hon. Janet Ong’era and brutally dispersed at least four peaceful, townhall meetings. When the MP and leaders accompanying her confronted the police officers to explain why they were unlawfully trying to disrupt a peaceful and lawful democratic process, they said they have instruction from their superiors to do so.

Later at 8.00 p.m. armed police under the command of the OCPD raided Governor James Ongwae’s residence as the Governor was having tea with Sen. Sam Ongeri and Hon. Ong’era,. The governor, being a good host invited the police boss to join in the tea session to which the officer declined. Asked what his mission was, the OCPD said he had been informed that an unlawful assembly was taking place at the governor’s residence, which they had come to disperse. The Governor asked that having ascertained there was no meeting, the police chief should withdraw his police contingent but the latter insisted they would not leave until the two legislators had left the Governor’s residence.

The foregoing are not isolated incidences. Last evening, a businessman, Mr Makori was arrested on accusation that he was supporting Eng. Oimeke. He is still in police custody. On May 4, 2021, the MCA for Riana Ward in Bonchari Constituency, Hon. Victor Moisabi, was arrested and taken to all the way Keroka Police Station after alteraction with the Assistant Chief of Bogitaa Sub-Location. We have it on authority that as our candidate’s meetings were being disrupted, a top national government official was holed up in a secret meeting with senior NGAO operatives at Eco Resort in Bonchari. In the meeting, the following instructions were given:

• The officers to completely disrupt campaign meetings held by the ODM candidate Pavel Oimeke.
• Shadow all poll and tallying agents of the ODM candidate, monitor their moves and arrest them if necessary.
• Arrest all the chief agents and coordinators to the ODM candidate Pavel Oimeke on the eve to the election date, especially anyone linked to Governor James Ongwae.
• Chiefs and nyumba kumi have been given instructions to start going house to house in their villages where they will be bribing and trying to instruct voters to vote for the Jubilee candidate.

We wish to appeal to the people of Bonchari not to be intimidated. The victory is definitely theirs. They have been here before in 1993. They prevailed and will prevail again. To those who think they can become community leaders through brutalization and subjugation of their own people, we refer to history. As ODM, we have never been cowed, we are not now and we shall never be.