Parties face nominations fall-out

Roads minister Franklin Bett addresses a Cord rally at Nairobi’s Uhuru Park last week. Photo/BILLY MUTAI

What you need to know:

  • Zoning could see big names locked out while in joint nominations top politicians must fight for survival with newcomers

Political coalitions are facing a major dilemma on how to conduct their primaries amidst internal competition and wrangling ahead of the January 18 deadline by the electoral commission.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement has fired its National Elections Board chairman, revealing the magnitude of tension within the party ahead of the nominations.

Dr Henry Muthee Kathurima was replaced by Roads minister Franklin Bett, who announced last week that he would not be contesting any seat in next year’s elections.

And the proposed joint nomination bringing together all the 10 parties in the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord) has been called off, meaning the parties will field their own candidates countrywide.

In the Jubilee alliance, tension is building up over a decree by its two principals that all aspirants from affiliate parties be subjected to joint nominations.

Cord brings together ODM, Wiper Democratic Movement (WDM), Ford Kenya and seven other parties while Jubilee coalition includes The National Alliance (TNA), United Republican Party (URP), National Rainbow Coalition (Narc) and the Republican Congress Party.

On Monday, ODM announced it had appointed Mr Bett to replace Dr Kathurima, who had been in charge of the party’s internal elections.

On Wednesday, ODM secretary general Anyang’ Nyong’o announced: “The appointment of Dr Henry Muthee Kathurima and Beatrice Sabana is hereby revoked.”

New commissioners

“Further, the following new commissioners are appointed, Kananga M’nchebere and Mr Aggrey Taikosh Azelwa. These appointments take place with immediate effect,” read a statement dispatched to newsrooms by Prof Nyong’o.

Dr Kathurima was kicked out after a month-long tug of war between the party secretariat and the elections board amid claims some senior party officials were trying to manipulate the process in favour of some “politically correct candidates”.

The former chairman claimed that the plot to dish out direct nominations was being engineered by top party officials at Orange House.

“There are things which are happening because of competition for places. We as a board want to carry out our mandate without interference because that is what we pledged to do,” Dr Kathurima said.

In the 2007 elections, the party’s nominations were steeped in controversy after influential officials reportedly gave tickets to their friends and relatives.

Already, supporters of ODM Nairobi gubernatorial candidate Evans Kidero have raised an alarm over attempts to issue a direct nomination to one his competitors.

On Wednesday, top ODM officials, including Prof Nyong’o and executive director Janet Ongera, could not be reached for comment as they did not answer calls made to them.

In Jubilee, the decision to subject the more than 8,000 affiliate party aspirants to joint nominations has triggered fears that it may be manipulated to lock out some candidates.

In parts of Rift Valley, Central, North Eastern and Coast, some of Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto’s allies will now have to face off in a move that could spark acrimony.

On Wednesday, TNA secretary general Onyango Oloo told the Nation that his party had suspended its earlier plans to conduct its own nominations to wait for the formation of Jubilee coalition’s joint elections board.

“We have suspended our own nomination plans temporarily and we are hopeful that in the course of the week we shall have a joint elections board as Jubilee because that is the way to go,” Mr Oloo said.

The announcement is likely to trigger fierce competition in areas where both TNA and URP and their affiliates are presenting strong candidates. In Marakwet East, for example, TNA is fielding incumbent Jebii Kilimo against URP rivals.

In Narok, former powerful Internal Security minister Julius Sunkuli (TNA) will now have to face his own brother Andrew Sunkuli (URP) for the senatorial seat.

But TNA chairman Johnson Sakaja said they had set up internal systems to ensure nominations were conducted in a transparent way.

“We are holding consultations with aspirants on elections and nomination rules so that all of them are agreeable with what we want,” he said by phone, ruling out direct nominations.

URP chairman Francis ole Kaparo said the party would stick to the nomination rules agreed on with all aspirants in Nairobi two months ago.

He suggested that the IEBC should be invited to conduct the nominations subject to the availability of funds.

And nominated MP Mohammed Affey who is a member of Cord national management board said consultations had resumed with a view to conducting joint nominations in three cosmopolitan counties to “increase the coalition’s chances of winning the seats.”

“We are revisiting this matter so that we can have joint nominations in all the cosmopolitan counties especially Nairobi, Nakuru and Mombasa,” Mr Affey told the Nation on phone. (READ: Jubilee aspirants to face off in joint poll)