Gideon Maundu | NATION Mombasa governor hopeful Suleiman Shabhal answers questions from journalists after he dropped a case he had filed in a Mombasa court challenging the ODM elections.
By Saturday Nation team newsdesk@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Friday, November 25 2011 at 22:00
Posted Friday, November 25 2011 at 22:00
IN SUMMARY
- Grassroots polls marred with violence in Likoni and Othaya, as Henry Kosgey is elected in absentia
Cabinet Najib Balala has been locked out of the on-going ODM grassroots elections while two ministers from the Rift Valley were elected in absentia as the polls move to the locational level.
Incidents of violence, complaints of rigging and confusion went on for the second day as the party conducted the polls to rid it of rebel MPs and officials.
In Mombasa, Mr Balala skipped the elections and stated that he would be vying for the senator’s seat in the next elections.
Contacted, the Tourism Minister was non-committal stating that the grassroots were not important.
Disqualified himself
“I am here in Lamu addressing issues of security and the deteriorating tourism. These are the two most important issues to us now. Other things (ODM grassroots elections) are not important and I would rather not talk about them,” he said.
Nominated councillor Abdulhamid Abdulrahman said the minister had disqualified himself as a delegate.
“We don’t know why he has opted out of these grassroots polls but whatever his game plan he is not one of us,” he added.
In Nandi, Tindaret MP Henry Kosgey, who is the ODM national chairman, kept off the polls with his allies stating that he had been seriously affected by the case at International Criminal Court.
The decision by Mr Kosgey sent a strong signal that he could be planning for something new in an area where most ODM voters are allied to Eldoret North MP William Ruto who is drumming up support for UDM.
Although Mr Kosgey did not participate in the polls, party officials elected him as a delegate at his home polling station in Kipkoror Sub Location. He was elected a delegate for Kibabet Location on Thursday.
Assistant minister Magerer Langat said they would campaign for Roads Minister Franklin Bett to take up Mr Kosgey’s position.
Cabinet minister Sally Kosgei was also elected as ODM delegate for Ndurio sub Location and a delegate for Ndurio Location in her Aldai Constituency in her absence.
In Changamwe, Mombasa, assistant minister Seif Ramadhan Kajembe mobilised his supporters to elect his wife Zaharia Maawia Kajembe as a women leader. Mr Kajembe, the ODM vice-chairman, was elected the sub-branch chairman.
Marred with violence
In Likoni constituency, the elections were marred by violence as two rival camps allied to the incumbent MP Masoud Mwahima and former MP Suleiman Shakombo clashed, forcing the election to be suspended.
In Mt Elgon, area MP Fred Kapondi, who is one of the rebel MPs led by Mr Ruto, has not shown interest in any seat.
In Othaya, elections at the location level failed to start after a group of youths snatched election papers from a presiding officer James Theuri and disappeared with them to an unknown destination.
In Kirinyaga County, the polls delayed following heavy downpour.
In Bomachoge, the elections failed to take place after delegates accused the returning officer of being compromised.
In Kisumu Town, a group of candidates complained about the way the polls were being conducted.
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