Party bigwigs secure direct nominations

By Stephen Makabila

Questions have arisen whether big names in various political parties who secured tickets without being subjected to primaries lacked competitors or it all came as courtesy of internal party designs.

Prior to the chaotic nominations that kicked off on Thursday and spread into Friday, leading political parties had ruled out direct nominations for those seeking their tickets.

Only less competitive minor parties had offered direct tickets to contestants who had shied away from facing rivals in the primaries.

However, come Thursday, some leading politicians drawn from various parties had secured tickets without any sweat, turning the primaries into a near ‘direct nominations-galore’.

Head of Political Science at the University of Nairobi Adams Oloo argues the nature of nominations should be a party discretion.

“A party can do whatever it wants. If it wants a particular candidate, one can choose to run against that candidate and (against party machineries) and lose. The question is why waste funds,” said Dr Oloo.

In North Eastern Province for example, no political party carried out nominations after aspirants for various elective seats secured direct tickets long before the date to avoid acrimony associated with primaries.

Big headache

Rivals for gubernatorial, senator, parliamentary, Women and County Representatives avoided the party primaries headache by picking different parties.

There were also similar cases in Western, Rift Valley, Nyanza, Central and Coast provinces.

The National Gender and Equality Commission raised concern over reports the confusion at the primaries was designed by some political parties that wanted to give direct nominations to some aspirants.

“We are particularly concerned about TNA and ODM parties where some of the centers remained open, but with no activity going on. Members on the ground have said they speculate the parties want to give direct nominations to preferred aspirants in some regions against the public will,” the commission’s chairperson Winfred Lichuma said on Thursday.

She said such moves were discriminatory and undemocratic and urged the Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission (IEBC) chairman Issack Hassan to reject any candidate selected without following procedure.

Lichuma had also noted the planning and execution of nominations was not impressive in most parts of the country. While most polling centers opened early, voting could not begin immediately as political parties had not yet delivered the ballot papers.

CORD presidential candidate Raila Odinga, Jubilee presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta, and Amani candidate Musalia Mudavadi had given an assurance that nominations would be competitive.

In Western, within CORD, ODM, Ford-Kenya and Federal Party of Kenya gave some direct tickets to key contestants.

Planning Minister Wycliffe Oparanya, who is contesting the Kakamega Governor, secured an easy ODM ticket and is to face UDF’s Paul Olando who sailed through after Housing minister Soita Shitanda’s bid was rejected.

Direct ticket

FPK’s Cyrus Jirongo had also a director ticket for Senate and will face UDF’s Bonny Khalwale who had no serious challenger for his ticket.

In Busia county, ministers Paul Otuoma and Ababu Namwamba had direct tickets for their parliamentary seats. In Bungoma County, Trade minister Moses Wetangula, one of the principals in CORD, had a direct Ford-Kenya ticket for Senate.

Assistant minister Wakoli Bifwoli and former Kimilili MP Eseli Simuyu had equally got direct tickets for Ford-Kenya. In Vihiga County, UDF gave Assistant minister George Khaniri a direct ticket for Senate, while former banker Ken Butiko secured an ODM direct ticket for Vihiga County governor.

Immediate former Emuhaya MP Wilbur Ottichilo got a direct ticket to defend his seat on an ODM ticket. In the Amani coalition, UDF and New Ford-Kenya also gave direct nominations to key contestants.

Former ministers Mukhisa Kituyi and Musikari Kombo had direct tickets in UDF and NFK respectively to contest Bungoma County senator.

Among beneficiaries

Former PS Ken Lusaka and former university lecturer Reginalda Wanyonyi   also secured direct tickets in NFK to contest Bungoma Governor and Bungoma County women representative, respectively. Former Attorney General Amos Wako also went in unopposed as Busia County senator on an ODM ticket.

In Rift Valley Province, some of those who secured direct tickets included ODM chairman Henry Kosgey, Agriculture minister Sally Kosgei, Higher Education minister Margaret Kamar. Information minister Samuel Poghisio had a direct URP ticket.

Central Kenya had TNA’s William Kabogo for Kiambu County governor and Gitobu Imanyara (ODM) Senator Meru County.

In Nyanza, Lands minister James Orengo had a direct ODM ticket for Siaya County senator while in Coast, URP’s Ali Chirau Mwakwere (Kwale Senate) and Naomi Shaban of TNA (Taita Taveta Senate) had direct tickets. Unlike most other parts of the country, clan politics determines one’s rise to any political office in North-Eastern Province and thus, political parties are only used as vehicles to achieving that goal.

“In North-Eastern, this is guided democracy. Why waste funds on nomination when elders can decide who will win? You run, you lose,” said Oloo. Going by this year’s direct nominations, in Garissa County, Ali Korane, Mohammed Shurie, Harun Yussuf and Nadhif Adam will vie for the governor’s post on TNA, UDF, ODM and Wiper party tickets respectively.

Former Dujis MP Aden Duale was given a URP nomination slot for the seat as a result of his close association with Jubilee Alliance running mate William Ruto. He will come up against Nassir Jofle, who was given a direct ODM nomination on the eve of the nominations.

In Wajir, former Cabinet minister Mohamed Abdi Muhamud (Jubilee), businessman Mohamed Mursal of KNC, agriculturalist Abdirahman Maalim Abass (Safina), Ahmed Abdullahi Mohammad (CORD) and Mahamed Omar Maalim Bardad (Wiper party) are fighting it out for the governor’s seat.

Former Wajir West legislator Adan Keynan and his Wajir East counterpart Mohammed Elmi will contest Eldas and Tarbaj constituencies on an ODM ticket.