The Big Losers

Big names fall in party primaries tainted by chaos and confusion

By SUNDAY NATION TEAM newsdesk@ke.nationmedia.com  ( email the author)

Posted  Sunday, January 20  2013 at  00:30

In Summary

• A number of senior politicians and business magnates have failed to make the ticket of preferred parties to run for elective positions
• Elections law leaves those who miss the boat when the final announcements are made with no room for manoeuvre

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Finance minister Njeru Githae and his assistant Oburu Oginga were last night the biggest losers of the shambolic primaries whose final outcome remained unknown as parties rushed to clean up their act.

The losses were underlined by the Friday midnight deadline set by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission for parties to nominate their candidates, which means that those who would miss the boat when the final announcements are made will have no room for manoeuvre.

According to the law, parties were supposed to have completed their nominations by Friday, meaning that the aspirants who decamped must have certificates dated January 18.

According to the IEBC requirements, parties are expected to submit their final lists by tomorrow and any complaints should be filed by Tuesday after all intra-party mechanisms to resolve disputes have been exhausted.

The ODM national elections board chairman Franklin Bett said last evening that meeting over disputes in Siaya and Gem would go on late into the night. By the time of going to press no report had been released on the outcome of the meeting.

The attempts to smooth over things were made in the wake of reported losses by key lieutenants of the principals in both Jubilee and Cord teams. This follows a tradition where an estimated 70 per cent of MPs lose their seats in every General Election since independence.

The Prime Minister’s brother, Dr Oginga, was earlier reported to have lost to newcomer William Oduol in his bid to get ODM’s ticket for the governor’s seat in Siaya. But the news changed later on Friday night.

Mr Bett then suspended the results and was for the better part of the day holed up in meetings convened to resolve the crises arising from the nominations.

ODM Chief Whip Jakoyo Midiwo and Medical Services minister Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o were reported to have suffered similar fates.

With his loss at the primaries, Mr Githae’s tenure at Treasury is bound to end on a bad note. He authored and passed through Parliament a bill, rejected by the President a week ago, to hand members of the 10th Parliament a hefty pension.

In his last days in Parliament, Mr Githae complained that as they slogged in the House, MPs’ opponents were making progress on the ground with their campaigns. His fears were confirmed on Saturday afternoon at Kerugoya Stadium. Mr Joseph Ndathi, the former director of administration in the ministry of Foreign Affairs, garnered 39,103 votes against Mr Githae’s 29,532.

Mr Githae and Dr Oginga joined Housing minister Soita Shitanda and assistant minister Bishop Margaret Wanjiru on the sidelines of their preferred parties. The Housing duo suffered a technical knockout on Thursday after the Commission on University Education said it could not verify the authenticity of their degrees.

The National Alliance party was also caught up in the confusion that characterised its nominations.

In Nairobi, the party’s website indicated that businessman Jimnah Mbaru had lost to Ferdinand Waititu. A disclaimer on the site said the results were provisional but the party had not given a final report by the time of going to press.

Mr Mbaru had splurged on a robust campaign, putting out a detailed CV on Facebook and Twitter, online advertisements, plus the conventional posters and banners all over the city.

And in Kiambu county, the winners of the governor, senator and women representative’s ticket were announced without reporting the number of votes garnered.

Those who had not defected to other parties by midnight Friday would also be disqualified, as the IEBC announced it had shut the door on those who had not decided which party to sponsor them.

Basing its decision on Section 13 of the Elections Act, IEBC said it would not accept nomination certificates from people who defected after midnight Friday. This means that aspirants such as Mr Githae and Dr Oginga are unlikely to compete at the General Election unless they defected to other parties and were nominated before then.

Agriculture assistant minister Gideon Ndambuki faced a similar fate, with Education minister Mutula Kilonzo beating him by a 17,000-vote margin for the Wiper Democratic Movement’s ticket for senator of Makueni.

Mr Kilonzo won the vote in all six Makueni’s constituencies, including Kaiti, which Mr Ndambuki represented.

In Nyeri, aspirant Gichuki Mugambi, backed by the Kibaki family to succeed their father in the Othaya parliamentary seat, fell to prominent businesswoman Mary Wambui.

In the Central Rift, former Konoin MP Julius Kones lost the Bomet gubernatorial URP ticket to Isaac Ruto by a 3,000-vote margin.

In the Coast, Education assistant minister Calist Mwatela failed to clinch the ODM ticket for Mwatate parliamentary seat, as did his wife, former Central Bank deputy governor Jacinta Mwatela lost the Taita-Taveta Orange ticket for governor.

In similar circumstances was former Mosop MP David Koech, who, as he announced his resignation from URP, accused it of failing to conduct fair primaries. An ally of URP leader William Ruto, Mr Koech said he would appeal for the nullification of the outcome. Without that, he said, he would ditch the party.

“I will be appealing the outcome within the party and if that fails I will consult with the elders, family, and my constituents to deliberate on my next political course of action,” he said at Sirikwa hotel in Eldoret.

Lewis Nguyai was also shown the door by TNA voters in the new Kabete constituency, losing to Central Organisation of Trade Unions supremo George Muchai. So close is the Local Government assistant minister to Jubilee presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta that he was his witness at the International Criminal Court confirmation hearings.

Said Mr Nguyai on Facebook: “Wish to thank the people of Kabete for turning up in large numbers – we lost gracefully Muchai 7,642 and Nguyai 6,802.”

In Machakos, former Water minister Mutua Katuku announced he would join assistant minister Wavinya Ndeti’s team as her running mate. He polled 18,000 votes against Alfred Mutua’s 122,000 but described the primaries as a sham.

Also left looking for options were robust debaters in the 10th Parliament, John Mututho of Naivasha and Erastus Mureithi of Ol Kalau.

The quieter types such as Beatrice Kones of Bomet and Lucas Chepkitony in Keiyo North were also shown the door. Mr Chepkitony was said to be headed to the United Democratic Front.

Roads assistant minister Lee Kinyanjui lost the quest for the TNA governor’s nomination to former AP Commandant Kinuthia Mbugua.

Home Affairs assistant minister Manyala Keya lost his quest to bear the UDF flag in Lurambi while in Matungu former MP David Were lost his bid for the ODM ticket.

In Kipipiri, Transport minister Amos Kimunya won the TNA ticket by the skin of his teeth – a mere 81 votes. According to the final tally announced at Miharati Shopping Centre, Mr Kimunya bagged 11, 546 votes compared to 11, 465 votes taken by his closest rival Samuel Gichigi.

In Murang’a two outgoing MPs were rejected by voters in TNA nominations. Maragua MP Elias Mbau and his Kandara counterpart Maina Kamau were among the casualties.

Mr Mbau however contested the results alleging irregularities and claimed his agents in 77 polling stations had been beaten up on the eve of the nominations and later denied entry to polling stations.

Mr Kamau got 10,845 votes against Alice Muthoni Wahome’s 27,602 votes.