Tribunal cancels Jubilee Party's ward reps list

Jubilee Party has suffered yet another blow after the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal (PPDT) cancelled the party's list for Nairobi members of county assembly submitted to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

On Friday, the MCAs list for Nyeri County was revoked.

REVISE LIST
At the same time, persons with disabilities urged the Tribunal to revoke the list for Nairobi County assembly members submitted by the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to IEBC, alleging that their names were left out by the selection panel.

PPDT chairman Kyalo Mbobu, together with James Atema and Hassan Abdi, directed the President Uhuru Kenyatta-led party to re-constitute the list of nominees.

"The re-constitution of the party list is to be done in strict compliance with all the relevant laws and shall as far as is reasonably practicable reflect the ethnic diversity of the people of Nairobi County drawn from the Jubilee Party membership," Mr Mbobu ruled.

NON-MEMBERS
Further, in complying with the directive, the party should also inform the petitioners on any decisions made relating to the matter.

The PPDT gave the orders after allowing a request filed by four petitioners - Sunctus G Ndegwa, John Njoroge Munani, Saumu Saidi and David Muchai Kinyanjui.

They said that the Nairobi County list submitted is unlawful as non-party members and voters registered in other counties were included.

UNLAWFUL
They had asked the PPDT to nullify the list of nominees published by JP on July 23 this year and then order a proper and genuine one be published by the electoral agency.

The panel was informed that the JP city branch had proposed and ratified the names for nomination and the names forwarded to the party's Secretary General Raphael Tuju for submission to IEBC.

"We are persuaded [that] the Jubilee Party list submitted to IEBC for nomination is not entirely compliant with the law and that the process of its preparation was not consultative," the petitioners said.

DISABLED
On the ODM matter, Mr Mbobu said the special seats are meant to represent special interests within the county as part of affirmative action.

He said it defeats the purpose of affirmative action if the positions are filled by those who are unqualified.

Ms Mary Atieno Olongo, the Nairobi ODM Coordinator for Persons with Disabilities, filed the petition.

ACTIVE MEMBERS
Ms Olongo said her name had been replaced with that of someone from Lamu County.

In another petition against ODM filed by Ms Salma Florence Bwogi Ochieng, the PPDT was also requested to revoke a list of 45 women and 45 men submitted to the IEBC for nomination to Nairobi County, claiming it includes persons who are not active members of the party.

OMITTED
Ms Ochieng said a lady who has been nominated registered as a member of ODM on July 5 this year, a month after the party had stopped receiving applications for nominations.

Hence, she is asking the PPDT to have her name reinstated since she is an active member of the party.