The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) national election board has temporarily postponed Kwale grassroots election which was to be held this weekend to avert a fall out.
The party national elections coordinating committee chairperson Emily Awita downplayed tensions in the party in the county saying the postponement was due to the ongoing rains in the area.
Ms Awita in a press statement said they had received a request to temporarily postpone the much-anticipated weekend county polls as they assess the situation assuring that the polls will be held when the current rains subside.
She said the grassroots Kwale poll postponement which comes after weeks of tension and uncertainty offer party adherents and officials the opportunity to enhance party elections integrity.
The move to postpone the weekend exercise comes barely a day after a failed attempt by the party to reconcile two warring factions and to reach a consensus.
Efforts by Kilifi Senator Stewart Madzayo to have former Kwale County Woman Representative Zuleikha Hassan and incumbent party chairman who is also former Matuga MP Hassan Mwanyoha to come to a consensus flopped during a closed-door meeting at a Mombasa hotel.
Madzayo was dispatched by ODM headquarters and pitched a tent in Mombasa County to reconcile the two factions before the party grassroots polls got underway but his efforts failed.
The long serving Kilifi Senator says the ODM top brass sanctioned the reconciliation talks in order to avert fallout over the Kwale party chairmanship post where leading aspirants have been pulling in different directions.
Kenya Muslims National Advisory Council (KEMNAC) Chairman Sheikh Juma Ngao is considered as a third force ahead of the postponed county grassroots polls.
Zuleikha who is also a former ODM nominated MP confirmed there was an attempt to reconcile her with incumbent Mwanyoha but things never worked out.
She was addressing the media when she launched “ODM county team fresh” with an aim to revive the party leadership from the grassroots level with a new team in place.
The former Kwale Woman Rep spoke to the media at Mazeras primary school in Kinango sub county of Kwale.
Zuleikha told the press the flopped reconciliation talks was to have her step down for the second time in favour of Mwanyoha which she said she is not ready to contemplate.
During the press briefing Zuleikha was accompanied by ODM Kinango sub county chairman Safari Nyange and ODM Msambweni sub county chairman Kassim Choka.
By Hussein Abdullahi
