Jubilee allies yet to agree on mode of picking flagbearer

The Jubilee coalition on Sunday failed to agree on the mode of picking its presidential candidate, just a day before the nominations.

The coalition is locked in a stalemate as to whether the flagbearer should be picked through consensus as advocated by UDF or a secret ballot, which is preferred by TNA and some URP members.

By last evening, the technical team working on the nomination rules was still holed up in a meeting and was expecting to hand over its report to coalition leaders Uhuru Kenyatta (TNA), Musalia Mudavadi (UDF) and William Ruto (URP).

TNA secretary-general Onyango Oloo, who is also a member of the technical team, said the national delegates convention will be held on Tuesday.

“So far, we have agreed the national convention takes place tomorrow, but we are still finalising other details including the issue of delegates,” he said.

The conference was initially scheduled for Monday, but was pushed to Tuesday due to the differences over the composition of delegates.

On Sunday, Mr Kenyatta, Mr Mudavadi and Mr Ruto met for four hours at the residence of one of the Jubilee coalition principals where they agreed on Tuesday’s convention.

“They also agreed that nobody will step down for another and promised to remain as a team after the vote,” a spokesman for one of the presidential candidates said.

Assistant Minister Kareke Mbiuki, a confidant of Mr Kenyatta, yesterday told the Nation that TNA was mobilising its delegates in readiness for the nomination.

“As far as we are concerned, there will be no boardroom meetings. The technical team agreed that there will be nomination on Tuesday. It is very unfortunate that last night, when the teams from the three parties met, the UDF group pulled out saying they had not been instructed by their principals on how to proceed,” Mr Mbiuki said.

A legal expert in the negotiating team said the coalition was keen to ensure the law was respected.

Article 29 of the Elections Act states: “The persons who nominate a presidential, parliamentary, county governor and county assembly candidate shall be registered members of the candidate’s political party.”

The Jubilee candidate will face off with either Mr Raila Odinga or Mr Kalonzo Musyoka of the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord). The latter will pick its candidate on Saturday. (Read: We’ll not split over election of flag bearer, leaders tell supporters)

Meanwhile, the Jubilee team held its first joint rally in Malava, Kakamega, on Saturday but another one planned for Murang’a on Sunday was cancelled at the eleventh hour.

Cold reception

Mr Mbiuki claimed the rally was called off after Mr Kenyatta was allegedly given a cold reception in Malava.

“We received some cold reception in Malava. When we come to your backyard and we are accorded unwelcoming reception then why should we bring you to our place. So we said that it is important to deal with the nominations first before anything else,” Mr Mbiuki said.

On Sunday, a message from the TNA secretariat announced another Jubilee coalition rally in Kitui on Monday to be attended by Mr Mudavadi, Mr Kenyatta, Mr Ruto and Ms Charity Ngilu of Narc.

Industrialisation assistant minister Nderitu Murithi of UDF claimed that some forces were plotting to split the coalition.

Mr Murithi said that even though the technical team had previously agreed on four options, a revision had been done restricting the options to either consensus or through delegates.

“Despite the ongoing plans to organise a venue for the delegates meeting which we are ready to participate in as UDF, it does not mean that consensus has failed,” he said.

Medical Services assistant minister Kazungu Kambi of URP asked UDF to be open to other options of picking the coalition’s candidate.

“We (URP) want a free, fair and inclusive process. The other day, Mudavadi cried so loud about an undemocratic nomination process in ODM. We want to tell him we heard him well and we want him to keep his word. We have said we want to be like America where delegates are called from all over. We want delegates from all the 47 counties to elect the candidate,” Mr Kambi said.

Belgut MP Charles Keter said the delegates were best placed to pick the flag bearer.

On Sunday, event organisers were making final touches at the Kasarani Gymnasium where the Jubilee candidate will be picked on Tuesday.

According to provisional nomination rules, the convention will comprise 5,042 delegates from TNA and UDF.

Six party members from UDF and TNA will constitute 11 per cent of the delegates and a pro-rated number of delegates based on the register approved by the Registrar of Political Parties as at December 4, from each of the coalition partners to constitute 89 per cent of the delegates.