Time for CORD to get back to the drawing board

Yesterday’s ruling by the IEBC’s dispute resolution committee that revoked the nomination of Kethi Kilonzo as a candidate in the forth coming by-elections in Makueni County should not come as a surprise to those who have been keenly following developments in CORD and it’s affiliate parties. From the hearing proceedings it was clear that something was a miss in Kethi’s registration and indeed those who facilitated the said fraudulent process should be brought to book.

Why shouldn’t this surprise you?

Well, the CORD parties have for the past few months been struck by a chain of “bad omen” if I may call it that and this has led them to suffering great losses.

First it was the bungled party nominations in ODM and Wiper Democratic Movement that saw the process marred with violence something which some argue was planned from the party’s top echelons to ensure that their preferred candidates secure direct nominations. Just 4 moths after the elections citizens in most parts of Nyanza are up in arms against their elected representatives for not being in touch with their needs and blaming ODM for not giving them an opportunity to elect their leaders.

Residents of Kisumu county for instance are constantly venting their anger on local vernacular stations and on social media against their governor Jacktone Ranguma whom they blame of complacency and an irresponsible use of county resources. They accuse him of not being pragmatic and doing very little to attract investment to Kisumu unlike his opponents. They have also been angered by the governor’s lavish lifestyle as he is currently residing in a Kisumu hotel as his official residence is being renovated begging many to ask what happened to where he was staying before being elected governor.

Going back to the presidential election petition filed by CORD in the Supreme Court, CORD lawyers were not able to file necessary affidavits in time making most of their very credible evidences thrown out and subsequently loosing the case on technicality grounds.

So what really is wrong with CORD?

Well it’s high time that the CORD team revised how they make decisions in the party and allow for a generational change in their structure. This will ensure that candidates are not just filled in based on their relationship with party leaders but after thoroughly scrutinizing the people’s demands.

If the party was not run by a few individuals I am sure that Kethi’s ineligibility would have been noticed earlier on and we would have all been saved the embarrassment that we witnessed in court. It is evident that somebody at Wiper or CORD in general wanted Kethi to run even though they knew her registration status was wanting thus facilitating the forgery.

CORD has always campaigned on a platform of reforms and respect for the rule of law and trying to push Kethi in through forgery of election documents is something that must be condemned by every right thinking Kenyan who values democracy.

Unless a miracle happens in the High Court, this is another seat that CORD is going to loose…and should we have more by-elections (God Forbid) CORD should just prepare itself for more losses and with no reforms in their structures coming forth, it will be centuries before they are elected to government.

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