COUNTY POLITICS: Amani National Congress risks fall-out in Vihiga as rivals dispute results of primaries

Amani National Congress is facing an impending fallout in Vihiga County after their primaries held last Saturday were disputed.  

Amani enjoys massive support in the county that is home to party leader Musalia Mudavadi. 

The results have created cracks, threatening to expose the party to its competitors in ODM, Progressive Party of Kenya and United Democratic Party that are also fighting for a share of the more than 260,000 votes there. 

Consequently, the losers are mulling vying as independent candidates. 

Among those aggrieved are aspirants Josephat Amadi (gubernatorial), Jairus Amayi (Senate), Mary Amalemba (Woman Rep) and several ward reps, all claiming to have been rigged out of the race by some party’s officials. 

FAULTED PARTY

Vihiga branch secretary William Kaisha, in an interview, faulted his party for not handling the primaries properly and asked Mr Mudavadi to personally intervene.

“I want to say that the national elections board failed the whole process. They decided to sabotage the process in order to achieve what they wanted,” he says.  

He went on: “I equally blame a top politician here and his cartels for sponsoring an aspirant then giving his cartels power to rig nominations in Sabatia.” 

Mr Kaisha warned: “ANC will lose the top county seat and that is the bitter truth.”

And even as the official was raising his concerns, Mr Amadi and Dr Amayi joined other aspirants, who lost the primaries, in threatening to contest the forthcoming polls as independent. 

NULLIFICATION OF RESULTS

Mr Amadi, while calling for the nullification of the results that declared Vihiga MP Yusuf Chanzu the victor of the ANC governorship ticket, cited three grounds that form the basis for his dispute. 

These are delays in the transportation of voting materials to most of the 133 polling stations; declaration of results from some wards that did not take part in the primaries and omission of results from his Hamisi stronghold. 

He said: “I wish to inform my supporters that we have appealed to the national and county election boards to nullify these shambolic nominations.” 

“In the event that our demands are not acted upon, we shall consult our supporters for the next course of action,” Mr Amadi warned. 

Mr Chanzu was declared winner of the ANC gubernatorial ticket after garnering 16,450 votes against Mr Amadi’s 13,386 votes.

Mr Chanzu said he is now focused on the August 8 General Election after the Saturday victory.

ALTERNATIVE LEADERSHIP

“I am determined because I waged campaigns for the last 33 months when I declared my interest in the governor’s seat. I want to see the best of Vihiga County by providing an alternative leadership,” said Mr Chanzu.

Mr Chanzu will now battle for the region’s top seat against the incumbent Governor Moses Akaranga (Progressive Party of Kenya), Emuhaya MP Wilbur Ottichilo (ODM), Mr Kennedy Butiko (United Democratic Party) and Ms Helen Otolo (independent candidate). 

ANC’s internal disputes resolution committee is expected in the county on April 27 to hear disputes arising from the primaries. 

Another aspirant, Dr Amayi, said he was shocked the party did not make provision for voters to pick their preferred candidate for the Senate ticket. 

During the Saturday exercise, only the position of the governor, woman representative, MP and MCA position were voted for. 

“I went to the polling centre ready to vote but I was shocked there were only four ballot boxes,” said Dr Amayi. 

RIGGED OUT

Dr Amayi believes he was rigged out by ANC in favour of the incumbent Mr George Khaniri and said this was a threat to democracy. 

However, in a quick rejoinder, ANC secretary-general Mr Godfrey Osotsi denied the claims by Dr Amayi and asked him to remain patient as the party addressed his concerns. 

Mr Osotsi further noted that the party had made a decision to issue a direct ticket to Mr Khaniri and had communicated the same message to Dr Amayi long before the primaries were held. 

The medic, who unsuccessfully ran for the governorship in 2013 and came a distant third after Governor Akaranga and Mr Butiko, said he will run as an independent candidate and warned Mr Khaniri to prepare for a bruising contest ahead of the August polls.

He complained that the Mudavadi-led party received his Sh20,000 life membership fee and another Sh250,000 nomination fee for the senatorial position, but turned against him. 

DIRECT TICKET
“Now the agenda is to fight Khaniri. Amani has rigged me out and given a direct ticket to one George Khaniri. I want to meet Khaniri on August 8. Let the people of this county decide.

I am a fighter.,” he seethed. 

But Mr Osotsi countered: “The party did not rig him out. The party made a decision to issue a direct ticket to Khaniri.

This was communicated to him (Amayi). As a party, we have every right to decide as such. He cannot turn around and say he was rigged out. How can one be rigged out yet he was not on the ballot?” 

Mr Khaniri, a politician for more than 20 years, is away in the United States of America and is expected back later this week. 

“I will initiate a series of ward based campaigns once I get back. I believe I still have the support of my people and I will be re-elected,” Mr Khaniri said. 

Others in the race for the Senate seat are Prof Patrick Kenya (Jubilee), Dr Billy Nyonje (Maendeleo Democratic Party) and Mr Tony Kweya (ODM). 

INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE

The primaries also saw Mrs Beatrice Adagala win the ANC Woman Rep ticket after garnering more than 13,000 votes against her rival, Mrs Mary Amalemba’s 8,400 votes. 

Mrs Amalemba protested that she was rigged out and said she will run as an independent candidate. 

Sabatia MP Mr Alfred Agoi and Hamisi parliamentary hopeful Mr Nelson Muturi got direct tickets as they were unopposed. 

The primaries also saw former Mumias Sugar Factory Finance Manager Mr Ernest Ogesi clinch the Vihiga constituency ticket with 3,531 votes against Mr Wilberforce Kitiezo’s 600 votes. 

This will be Mr Ogesi’s third attempt. 

PROTEST NOMINATION RESULTS

Mr Kitiezo, an MCA representing Wamuluma/Lugaga Ward, protested Mr Ogesi’s victory and said he will run as an independent candidate in the August 8 General Election. 

Veteran politician, Mr Arthur Apungu will fly the Amani ticket for Luanda constituency after garnering 2,958 votes. His opponent in the primaries, Mr Tom Alwaka did not protest the nomination results.

The results from the Amani primaries for Emuhaya Constituency are still pending.

Kuppet national chairman Mr Omboko Milemba and Otalo Nyamanga are fighting for the Emuhaya ticket.