MUGIRANGO NOMINATIONS

Unilateral decisions by the Party of National Unity were likely to cost it the South Mugirango parliamentary seat, an aspirant has warned.

Mr Rashid Minyonga, the party’s branch chairman, said the decision to give direct nomination to Ford People’s Manson Oyongo in the forthcoming by-election would be its undoing.

Speaking at St Linus Etago in Kisii at a delegates meeting, Mr Minyonga said the party was likely to lose the seat if it did not hold credible nominations. Mr Minyonga has expressed his intention to vie for the seat.

Affiliate party

He urged the party’s top brass to conduct nominations as stipulated in its election rules. “I don’t understand why a few national officials decided to support a candidate vying through an affiliate party without calling for nominations.”

He said the decision was not binding as his branch officials were not involved and if that remains the case, Mr Minyonga said, his supporters would decamp to another party.

The politician accused the head office of making important party decisions without consulting officials at the grassroots, citing the recent formation of the Progressive Democratic Movement as a case in point.

‘‘The party’s political leaders make decisions that some of us only learn of through the media. This is indeed a party of a few individuals,” Mr Minyonga said.

So far, 20 aspirants have declared their interest to vie for the South Mugirango seat in the by-election slated for June 10. The seat fell vacant after the election of former assistant minister Omingo Magara was nullified by the High Court following a petition.