Dispute tribunal stops PNU from issuing certificates

Party of National Unity members attend a hearing at Milimani Law Court in Nairobi on April 29, 2017 over complaints of how nominations in Embu County were conducted. PHOTO | ANTHONY OMUYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • PNU was barred from handing out certificates to those who won the primaries in Embu County.
  • Lawyer Sharon Mbithe Mwanzia said a direct nomination certificate had already been issued to Ms Ndeti.

The Political Parties Dispute Tribunal has blocked the Party of National Unity from issuing certificates to nominations winners over shambolic exercise.

It also stopped Wiper party from presenting Ms Wavinya Ndeti's candidature for Machakos gubernatorial race to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission for gazettement, over irregular endorsement.

PNU, led by Meru Governor Peter Munya, was barred from handing out certificates to those who won the primaries in Embu County.

BOGUS EXERCISE

It said the primaries conducted on April 22 were flawed.

The party's members thronged the hearing at Milimani Law Court in Nairobi today.

Lawyer Apollo Muinde, representing four aggrieved PNU members: Denis Mugendi, Jeremiah Mugambi Njagi, Patrick Mucira and Simon Njue Gitegua, told the tribunal that "the nomination exercise was a sham".

Mr Muinde urged it to order a repeat because some voters were allegedly turned away.

"The presiding officers arrived at the polling stations after 5pm and thousands of voters were turned away without exercising their democratic right of electing candidates of their choice," he claimed.

DIRECT TICKET

The panel was chaired by Mr Kyalo Mbobu, James Atemi and Aldeline Mbithi.

The tribunal ruled that the PNU was not interested in "following due process".

In the Machakos dispute, lawyer Sharon Mbithe Mwanzia said a direct nomination certificate had already been issued to Ms Ndeti and her running mate Peter Mathuki.

The lawyer for deputy governor Bernard Kiala said nominations were not conducted because of claims that Governor Alfred Mutua was planning to interfere with the exercise.

DEMOCRATIC RIGHT

Ms Mwanzia argued that Mr Kiala had spent immense resources in campaigning, hence a direct nomination would be an affront to democracy.

The tribunal will resolve the PNU matter on May 2 and the Machakos one on May 3.

Disputes in other parties were also addressed.