MAGARA FOR PDP

A technical error by the ODM elections board could save ODM treasurer Omingo Magara from losing the party’s ticket ahead of the June 10 by-election. The party has decided to extend the deadline for receiving nomination papers from interested candidates from last Thursday to Sunday evening.

“We have extended the deadline to Sunday evening because of a technicality in the election rules so those who want to contest the by-election on our party’s ticket still have until the end of Sunday to collect nomination forms,” ODM National Election Board chairman Engineer Philip Okundi said on Saturday.

Party’s ticket

Mr Magara’s future in the party was put in jeopardy when he failed to beat the earlier Thursday deadline to collect the papers, a move that could have seen only six candidates battle it out to secure the party’s ticket to contest the South Mugirango by-election.

The Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC) has set the date for the South Mugirango by-election for June 10, but voters in Matuga constituency will have to wait a bit longer to know their next Member of Parliament. Speaker Kenneth Marende is yet to issue writs for Matuga.

The South Mugirango seat fell vacant after the High Court sitting in Kisii nullified the election of Mr Magara, citing irregularities. The petition was filed by Manson Oyongo Nyamweya, the Ford People candidate in the 2007 election.

The Matuga seat also fell vacant after the High Court in Mombasa nullified the election of former Transport Minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere early last month citing election irregularities. Political parties wishing to field candidates in the South Mugirango by-election must finalise their nominations by May 9 and hand in their nomination papers to the returning officer on May 17 or May 18.

It is not clear why Mr Magara failed to beat the Thursday deadline for collecting the nomination forms from the party. Contacted on Saturday, the former Trade assistant minister declined to comment on the matter, saying he was ready to address a press conference to comment on his political future next week. “If it is about politics, please spare me and let me mourn my brother, I’m in so much pain,” Mr Magara said, referring to his younger brother, Titus, who died on Thursday morning after a short illness.

Titus, a former coordinator of the Muungano wa Mageuzi lobby that was led by Lands minister James Orengo in the late nineties, was Mr Magara’s key strategist. Speculation is rife that Mr Magara is contemplating picking a PDP ticket after ODM refused to grant him a direct nomination.