Parties
battle headache of picking candidates
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Updated Monday, July 09 2012 at 20:00 GMT+3
By Stephen Makabila
Political parties’ primaries scheduled for
December, has ignited fire in major parties as they seek to identify suitable
candidates.
This comes amid fears that favourism and
manipulation, in what could be the toughest democracy test at party level under
the new constitutional dispensation, could mar the process.
According the Independent Electoral and
Boundaries Commission’s election road-map, parties are set to hold primaries in
December and submit party nomination lists in January (at least 45 days before
elections) to pave way for IEBC nominations and campaigns in February and
elections in March.
According to the road map, parties are supposed
to submit membership lists to IEBC by October.
Unlike in the past, when it was easy for parties
to secure candidates irrespective of their integrity records, the coming nominations
would be tight, with only those with clean records making it through.
Corrupt officers, for example, will soon be
named by the Commission on Administration of Justice to enable Kenyans have
prior knowledge of those seeking electoral positions.
Notice to members
According to the commission’s vice-chairman
Regina Mwatha, this among other measures will ensure leaders are fully
accountable to the people.
Mwatha has warned those seeking governors,
senators and county representative seats to stay clean and avoid corruption and
various malpractices if they want to be on the safe side.
Assistant minister Peter Kenneth’s Kenya
National Congress was the first to advertise for applications from aspiring
candidates seeking its ticket early this year. ODM followed suit, putting its
invitations via the media last Thursday.
“In preparation for the forthcoming General
Election, ODM hereby invites all members interested in vying for elective posts
available under Parliament and County Assembly elections to submit their
written expression of interest to the National Elections Board,” read the party
statement signed by NEB Secretary Dr Joseph Misoi.
Among positions listed by ODM include member of
senate, member of national assembly, county women representative, county assembly
governor and member of county assembly.
The presidential and running mate positions are
not listed, but reports indicate the party will on July 27 hold a National
Governing Council that will elect its presidential candidate and running mate.
In most leading political parties, including
ODM, however, rivalry between sitting MPs and aspiring candidates is evident,
necessitating assurances from key leaders, on how fair the nomination process
will be.
The National Alliance party has in recent weeks
allayed fears its leader Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta is propping
aspirants for various posts at the grassroots level.
Responding to queries raised by various
aspirants from Murang’a County recently, party chairman Jackson Sakaja said
Uhuru, who is also its presidential candidate, would in no way influence the
outcome of the party nominations or elections.
“Our presidential candidate is not supporting
any one nor does he have favourites whom he wants nominated in our forthcoming
nomination process,” Sakaja noted.
Notice to members
Sakaja further indicated there would not be
direct nominations and warned those hoping to benefit from such a directive
they would fail.
Misoi on his part assured ODM will ensure the
nominations are free and fair at all levels.
“As NEB, we are not partisan and we are not
going to serve any personal interests. We assure members the nominations will
be free and fair in the spirit of democracy,” he added.
In the Wiper Democratic Movement, there is also
intense fighting for space, as Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka seems to be gaining
ground in the lower Eastern region.
Some MPs who had parted ways with the VP are
back, fighting for space with prospective candidates for various positions in
the region.
A case in point is Yatta MP Charles Kilonzo, one
of Kalonzo’s harshest critics — who at one time disowned the rebranded WDM
outfit. Kilonzo is back trying to wrest the leadership of the party from
Nairobi businessman Francis Mwangangi, who was elected Yatta branch
chairman.
Other perceived anti-Kalonzo MPs in the region,
who have either reconciled with the VP or gone quiet, include Youth Affairs
Assistant minister Wavinya Ndeti (Kathiani), Kiema Kilonzo (Mutito), Charles
Nyamai (Kitui West) and Kilome’s Harun Mwau.
Difficult situation
New Ford-Kenya’s presidential aspirant and
Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa was equally facing similar problems in his
bed-rock support bases of Bungoma and Trans Nzoia counties.
“It’s a difficult situation because aspirants
close to the minister are fighting to ensure he does not re-unite with the
Ford-Kenya leadership headed by Trade Minister Moses Wetangula,” said a key
Wamalwa ally, Dr Juma Mukhwana.
Equal treatment
However, the two have since announced they would
work together and forge a common political front. This was, however, after a
heated resistance by Wamalwa supporters who want him to soldier on
independently in his State-House bid.
In the United Republican Party, de facto party
leader and Eldoret North MP William Ruto has had problems in Rift Valley, where
sitting MPs and prospective candidates have equally been fighting for space.
Ruto has been forced to pledge URP nominations
would be free and fair, and that he will not impose anyone on the electorate.
Political experts warn unless the coming
nominations are held fairly, it could be similar to a situation reminiscent to
2002 and 2007 when primaries were messy, leading to defections ahead of polls.
However, things are different this time round.
While in the past elections there was freedom of movement, the Elections Act of
2011 — under the new Constitution, curtails party hopping.
Credible aspirants
Political observers say among some of the
reasons that have contributed to the high rate of pre-election defections in
the past include the ‘culture of direct nominations’ that had been perfected by
some key party leaders.
“When doors are closed on the face of a serious
and credible aspirant, who feels chances of winning are high, nothing will stop
such a person from seeking a different vehicle,” noted Maseno University
lecturer Dr Martin Mulwale.
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