Numbers may lock out aspirants

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission chief executive officer James Oswago. Photo/FILE

What you need to know:

  • Information seen by the Nation shows that only three parties have registered more than 2,000 members in at least 24 counties

Majority of presidential hopefuls are in danger of being locked out of State House race because they have not attained the required number of supporters in at least 24 counties.

Information seen by the Nation shows that only three parties have registered more than 2,000 members in at least 24 counties.

They include Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), United Democratic Forum (UDF) and The National Alliance (TNA).

The data from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission show that Musalia Mudavadi-led UDF is leading the pack with over 2,000 members in 32 counties followed by Mr Uhuru Kenyatta’s TNA, which has registered over 2,000 members in 29 counties.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s ODM is third with over 2,000 members in 27 counties. 

The rest of the parties, including Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper Democratic Movement and Mr William Ruto-led United Republican Party, were yet to register 2,000 members in at least 24 counties by last month.

URP has only managed to register over 2,000 members in 16 counties while Wiper has listed a similar number in only 13 counties.

But URP spokesman Aden Duale dismissed the figures, saying his party had over 2,000 members in 31 counties.

Clause 137 (d) of the Constitution stipulates that a presidential candidate must be nominated by at least 2,000 supporters in a minimum of 24 counties.

The Political Parties Act on the other hand requires parties to list at least 1,000 members in more than half of the 47 counties to be registered by the Registrar of Political Parties.

On Thursday, IEBC Chief Executive James Oswago warned that the electoral body would lock presidential candidates who fail to meet the requirement.

“That is the law. We will enforce it to the letter,” he said. 

The parties registrar Lucy Ndung’u, however, downplayed the matter, saying her office was still compiling data on membership registration by the various parties.

“I have not issued any statistics because we are still re-organising our data,” she said.

She added that her office only issues data on parties that have registered 1,000 members or more in at least 24 counties.

She warned that the law empowers her to de-register political parties whose membership falls below the 1000-member mark.

The data shows that the main presidential hopefuls have managed to secure the 2000-member mark in their perceived strongholds and counties falling in urban areas.

Mr Kenyatta’s TNA is leading in Nairobi (26,535) followed by ODM (18,198) and UDF (17,641).

Mr Musyoka’s Wiper has registered 7,132 while Mr Ruto’s URP has managed 5,462 members.

ODM is leading in Mombasa County with 10,083 members followed by UDF with 8,785, TNA (3,844), Wiper (3,076) and URP (1,861).

In Nakuru County, ODM is leading followed by URP and TNA.