Transport operations were on Friday, April 8, temporarily paralyzed in Homa Bay county after residents took to the streets to protect direct nominations by Raila Odinga’s ODM party.
The protesters who were carrying placards reading ‘No free tickets’ lit bonfires next to the road to protest against the issuance of direct certificates to Homa Bay woman Rep Gladys Wanga.
Addressing members of the press, the protesters accused the former prime minister of imposing leaders on them saying that they will only be ready to support a process that respects the democracy and rule of law.
“As youths and voters in Homa Bay, we respect and appreciate Raila Odinga for his selfless contributions to the attainment of democracy and the rule of law in this country and we will support him as our next president,
“However, as people whose future is dependent on today’s leadership, we distance ourselves from the selfish and procedural move that disregards the rights of Homa Bay people by imposing candidates on us. We state that we shall only be ready to support a process that respects our hardened democratic rights,” one of the protestors said.
The protests come barely days after the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance Coalition presidential flag bearer handed a direct nomination ticket to Homa Bay Women Representative Gladys Wanga for the gubernatorial seat.
While Raila said the move to issue Gladys Wanga with a direct ticket was reached after a consensus with all the aspirants that were seeking to fly the ODA ticket, former Nairobi governor Evans Kidero said he was not aware of the meeting despite being one of the ODM aspirants.
“I was surprised to see an announcement being made that through consensus of seven candidates, which is not true because the people who were actually aspirants were eight, a ticket has been issued,” Kidero said as quoted by the Star.
