Jubilee and Cord flex muscles as Malindi race enters homestretch

Jubilee and Cord politicians are gearing up for the official start of the Malindi by-election campaigns, which commence formally after presentation of nomination papers to IEBC on Monday.

The presentation of nomination papers comes in the wake of a storm created by allegations that ODM flagbearer Willy Mtengo’s school certificates are questionable.

Cord principals Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetangula will escort Mr Mtengo to present his nomination papers to the Electoral Commission while Jubilee is also planning to stage a huge presence during the exercise.

The luminaries, according to sources, will arrive on Sunday in Malindi where they are supposed to hold talks with party and coalition supporters, some of whom have vowed not to vote for Mr Mtengo.

PROPAGANDA

Some coast ODM politicians have accused Jubilee of using propaganda to taint the image of its Malindi parliamentary candidate.

Led by party deputy leader Hassan Joho, they said ODM assessed Mr Mtengo during the nomination and found him qualified to vie for the seat.

Mr Joho rejected claims that Mr Mtengo has fake certificates and asked him not to be discouraged.

“All that propaganda will not shake ODM. They are the last kicks of a dying horse since they know they are losing the election,” he said.

His colleague, Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi, said they had moved to court over the allegation.

“A report of year 2011 is being produced in 2016. That is unfair, because they know they are losing the seat,” he said, adding: “These will be things of the past.”

(READ: Row rages over Cord aspirant’s Malindi seat academic papers)

“After this, we will go for all those with fake documents because we know them. We want a free and fair election; not such baseless propaganda,” said Mr Kingi.

Mr Mtengo said he has been defamed, adding that he is more than qualified for the job.

“There was even a time they wanted to bribe me to leave ODM and step down from vying for the seat but I said I shall not betray my party,” he said.

Mombasa women rep Mishi Mboko said they “tried it” with Mr Joho when they accused him of possessing a fake degree certificate and were defeated.

“Now they are accusing Mr Mtengo of the same, but they will also not succeed,” she said at the meeting in Kwachocha in Malindi constituency.

Jomvu MP Baadi Twalib said the Jubilee coalition was using various means to intimidate opposition leaders.

Other leaders present at the event included nominated senator Agnes Zani, Kilifi women rep Aisha Jumwa and members of the county assembly.

JUBILEE'S COUNTER

To counter Cord’s fanfare arrangements for its candidate, Jubilee has an elaborate programme to escort its candidate, Mr Philip Charo, who will be presenting his nomination papers tomorrow at 11am.

Without naming the line-up from Nairobi, Mr Charo told the Sunday Nation that after the Mr Odinga’s team is finished with the ceremony, they would show them who the real owners of Malindi are.

“Monday will be a day to tell all and sundry who the man of the people is, when I present my papers escorted by Malindi residents, not visitors,” he said.

Apart from the Jubilee luminaries, Mr Charo said his escort would include current leaders of Kilifi County who are working to ensure he wins the seat hands down.

But JAP interim chairman Ali Mwatsahu said they were waiting for communication from Nairobi before they could roll out the elaborate plans for the Malindi IEBC event.

“I am just waiting for a phone call from Nairobi before I can release the Monday programme for our party candidate,” he added.

IEBC REGULATIONS

Malindi returning officer Stephen Kitsao Karani said arrangements for Monday’s nomination exercise were complete and that candidates were required to stick to the commission’s regulations.

“We don’t expect more than the candidate and a maximum of two agents to present their papers to IEBC offices,” he said in a phone interview.

Doubts have cropped up over Chama cha Uzalendo (CCU) nominee Peter Ponda, whom party chairman Maur Bwanamaka does not recognise because of Uzalendo’s pact to support Jubilee.

Mr Bwanamaka said they had not fielded a candidate for the Malindi by-election but were supporting the Jubilee candidate, Mr Charo, for the March 7 mini-poll.

“Ask him where he got our nomination certificate because I have signed none to that effect,” he said, adding that whatever he was presenting was null and void.

But Mr Ponda said he would present himself to the IEBC offices to hand in his nomination papers.

“I have my certificate from the party, which I intend to present to the Electoral Commission officials on Tuesday.

Please don’t engage me in party wrangles that I know nothing about,” he said.

Apart from a Kaya elders’ vetting last month, where they “anointed” Mr David Mangi as their preferred candidate, last Sunday the Swahili Council of Elders held their own ceremony, where Mr Attas Shariff of Labour Party of Kenya (LPK) emerged the winner.

Law scholar Morris Mbondenyi says the mini-poll could be one of the most hotly contested by the two mainstream coalitions. 

“Cord will want to prove that it is still in control of its strongholds, Coast being one of them.

On the other hand, Jubilee will want to prove that Cord is losing grip of its turfs and that Jubilee is gaining favour in the region,” he says.