Cord plans joint nominations in 2017

Cord coalition says it plans to capture 250 of the 290 elective parliamentary seats in the coming General Elections.

Wiper Secretary General Hassan Omar and ODM Director of Elections Junet Mohammed said that Cord will have joint nominations in some areas.

“We prefer joint nominations in areas where we risk losing if our votes are split like Turkana, North Eastern, Nairobi and others,” said Mr Hassan who is the Mombasa Senator.

Other areas are Samburu, Turkana, Narok, Nakuru, Taita Taveta, Bungoma, Kakamega, Busia,Vihiga, Kwale, Kilifi, Mandera, Wajir, Garrisa, Kisii and Nyamira.

“We have learnt from past mistakes; we now know that it is important to control parliamentary majority,” Mr Mohammed said.

He said the same will be used to ensure the coalition captures majority gubernatorial seats.

“We are targeting 250 seats and we are leaving nothing to chance,” he said.

In Northern Kenya, which was an ODM strong hold, Cord is hoping to win Wajir East and Fafi and Mandera seats.

LOST BY SMALL MARGINS

ODM lost seats in Nairobi by small margins after fielding multiple candidates from the Cord coalition in the last elections.

In Narok the party marginally lost the Kilgoris seat to TNA despite presenting a strong candidate due to what is attributed to negligence by the party machinery.

The party also lost its base in Kajiado East after the party top bras failed to support campaigns in Maasai land at the time.

Kalikuta Maimai of ODM garnered 22,771 while Joshua Olowasa of Wiper Democratic Movement won 6,831 but they all lost to Peris Tobiko who defected from ODM over rigging claims during nominations. She bagged 23,645 votes.

In Makadara, Nairobi, Mutura Kangara of TNA garnered 37,967 to win the seat against George Aladwa of ODM who got 36,136 and Ms Lindy Wafula of Wiper who garnered 7,505 votes.