Six-piece strategy is for Azimio not just ODM - Raila Odinga clarifies

Azimio-One Kenya presidential candidate Raila Odinga has been forced to clarify a statement he made in Homa Bay on Monday, calling for a six-piece voting model.

Speaking during a strategic meeting with the coalition party's county coordinators, the former Prime Minister assured the party members that everything he said on the campaign trail is for the benefit of Azimio as a whole.

“For the record, I am an Azimio candidate. When I campaign around the country I do so as an Azimio candidate and I am not going to be biased in favour of ODM candidates. I will treat all the candidates equally,” the ODM party leader stated.

This clarification comes a day after Odinga faced backlash from the coalition party's National Coalition Executive Council (NCEC) deputy chairman David Murathe and other party leaders.

ODM leader Raila Odinga. Image: RAILA ODINGA/TWITTER Pulse Live Kenya

Six-piece strategy not good for voter turnout

Murathe wanted Odinga to let all candidates fight it out in the polls, claiming the six-piece strategy is an attempt to re-introduce zoning through the backdoor after it was rejected by the affiliates.

"It is good for voter turnout. This is because they (contestants) will all mobilise their supporters to go and vote, so it is important to let the competition be very heavy and this will ensure the presidential vote remains intact,” Murathe told Nation.

ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna came to the defense of Odinga stating that as the party leader, the latter has every right to drum up support for the party's candidates.

“We agreed that every party in the coalition should field candidates, so you don’t expect that the party leader of ODM will not support ODM candidates. Until the day that Raila Odinga is no longer the party leader of ODM, you cannot really expect him not to campaign for ODM candidates,” stated Sifuna.