Ndung’u: Register by 17th or forget poll race

The Registrar of Political Parties has warned aspirants that they will be disqualified from running in the coming elections if they do not register as members of political parties by October 17.

Ms Lucy Ndung’u spoke amid confusion over the exact date aspirants are supposed to join their new political parties with chairman of the parliamentary committee on Legal Affairs and Administration of Justice Njoroge Baiyia contradicting her.

Ms Ndung’u said her office had written to political parties over the matter and expressed fears that ongoing misinterpretations may dim political careers.

The move could pose a major political dilemma to top politicians and over 100 MPs who followed them to their new parties.

“The law states that to qualify for nomination in a political party over and above the party’s nomination rules you must show you have been an active member of that party three months before its primaries,” said Ms Ndung’u.

She warned that the electoral commission will disqualify candidates who do not comply with the law.

“For you to be in the nomination list or to be nominated to contest you must be in that party starting October 17. Do not be cheated, I have seen prominent politicians misinterpreting this,” Ms Ndung’u stated.

But Mr Baiyia insisted that people can choose their parties as late as in January and accused the registrar of misleading political parties.

“We are the ones who make laws and as far as I am concerned one can choose his party in January and not October,” he said.

High profiled defections are still expected in the coming two weeks as politicians attempt to grab opportunities in parties that resonate with local voters.

On Sunday Roads Minister Franklin Bett told the Nation he had been approached by some members of TNA and URP to join their ranks.

The minister however insisted that his heart is in ODM and that he will soldier on despite pressure to leave.