Ruth Odinga, sister to Azimio Movement leader Raila Odinga has revealed voter apathy being witnessed in the Nyanza region is over claims there were already preferred candidates by ODM in various elective positions and that residents feel there was no need to register as voters when it will not count in the party’s nominations.
Speaking in Homabay county on Saturday, Ms. Odinga who is the coordinator of voter registration mobilization in the Luo-Nyanza region said residents were discouraged to enlist as voters by the perception ODM, which is the most dominant party in the region has its preferred list to be imposed on the people during the party’s primaries.
”For me, I have put aside all my ambitions to mobilize people to register to vote. If the endorsement and line-up narratives do not stop we will have to call out publicly leaders pushing this kind of talk,” the Kisumu Deputy governor said.
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A day earlier on Friday, Raila Odinga complained of the low voter turnout in his backyard and rallied youths in his Nyanza backyard to turn up in large numbers and register as voters.
“My rivals are having their people register as voters in large numbers because they have taken the presidential race in 2022 seriously. When I walk out there I am embarrassed because of the manner in which you are not taking this matter seriously. If you visit our opponents’ regions, the youth in those areas are registering as voters in big numbers. However, when you come to Homa Bay and Kisumu, only a handful have enrolled as voters,” Raila said in Homa Bay town after he commissioned water project worth sh1.6billion.
“Do you want me to quit the race? If you do not register in numbers, then I do not see the reason why I should contest. We have to take this matter seriously and register,” he added.