Confusion and uncertainty as losers throng Jubilee tribunal

Musician Charles ‘Jaguar’ Kanyi arrives at the Jubilee headquarters with his supporters on May 2, 2017. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION

What you need to know:

  • Accessing Jubilee headquarters on Tuesday was like attempting to get into a military camp.
  • A contingent of heavily-armed police officers manned the building as leaders arrived with their noisy supporters.
  • One of the people who resigned from the party was Ol Kalou parliamentary aspirant George Wambugu.

Confusion and uncertainty marred the Jubilee hearing of nomination disputes filed by disgruntled aspirants who thronged the party offices.

This came even as reports emerged that more than 100 had submitted resignation letters to the party on Tuesday, ahead of Thursday’s deadline for independent candidates to submit party symbols.

There are fears that this could be the beginning of the biggest revolt yet against President Uhuru Kenyatta’s party.

By the time of going to press at 8.30pm, the party had not released its most awaited decision: The Starehe Constituency battle pitting celebrity musician Charles ‘Jaguar” Njagua Kanyi against incumbent MP Maina Kamanda.

The crooner arrived at the party headquarters at 3pm with chanting supporters in tow and vowed not to leave the building without the winner’s certificate.

VOICES HEARD

“Starehe people want their voices heard. They voted and they want that respected,” he said.

His supporters sang and danced on Thika Road. The musician’s songs blasted from huge speakers mounted on a car that kept making rounds outside the offices. 

Accessing Jubilee headquarters on Tuesday was like attempting to get into a military camp.

A contingent of heavily-armed police officers manned the building as leaders arrived with their noisy supporters.

For them, the message was simple: Our candidate was rigged out, and if he or she does not get the certificate, we will bolt out and go independent and or vote for the opposition.

DELICATE BALANCE

It was a delicate balancing act for the Law Society of Kenya Vice-President Faith Waigwa-led appeals tribunal as it heard the scheduled 52 cases.

By Monday, Ms Waigwa told journalists that the tribunal had dismissed 70 of the 107 cases it had heard. The tribunal said it received 508 appeals.

One of the people who resigned from the party was Ol Kalou parliamentary aspirant George Wambugu.

“This tribunal is not fair. It is neither credible nor just. We feel it has blocked the rights of our people to make their choice,” he said.

However, Nakuru Governor Kinuthia Mbugua praised the team.

“We have made our case and we expect to hear their ruling. We were given enough time and we are happy,” Governor Mbugua said.

DENIED ENTRY

Mr Mbugua, a former Administration Police Commandant, was briefly denied entry into the offices as mean-looking men he had once led pushed him back and ordered him to calm his supporters.

He meekly stood there, peering through the rails of the one-man gate as his supporters shouted “Fungulia gavana. Huyu ni gavana!” (Open the door for the governor! This is the governor!)

After realising he could not gain entry, Mr Mbugua’s supporters walked him to an adjacent gate leading to the basement.

MOVE FOUR STEPS BACK

After haggling and calming his supporters down by asking them to move four steps back, was lucky to get in, this time with only a handful of his people, his legal team and security.

As Mr Mbugua struggled to gain entry, the man who beat in the Jubilee nominations — former Nakuru Town MP Lee Kinyanjui and his supporters — waited in tow, demanding to be allowed in.

“We have made our case. We respect the democratic processes, but most of these things have been dismissed. We won,” Mr Kinyanjui said.

Kericho Governor Paul Chepkwony, who said he was at the premises to pick his certificate, said that he had a tallying system that he said relayed real-time results.