Waititu, Wanjiru Face Vetting Test

Outgoing Starehe MP Bishop Margaret Wanjiru (left) and her Embakasi counterpart Ferdinand Waititu (right) face an acid test of their political careers today when their ODM and TNA parties determine whether they are qualified enough to vie for Nairobi senatorial and gubernatorial seats, respectively.

BY MERCY MWAI, WANJOHI GITHAE AND HUDSON GUMBIHI
MONDAY, 14 JANUARY, 2013

Political bigwigs risk being barred from participating in Thursday’s party nominations over integrity questions and academic qualifications as Political Parties Act bites

Anxiety has gripped some top aspirants as they wait to know their fate on whether they will participate in the nomination exercise slated for Thursday, January 17.

Various political parties are currently finalising an internal vetting process of some aspirants before clearing them for the nominations.
  Yesterday, The National Alliance party (TNA) became the first party to decline to allow Embakasi MP Ferdinand Waititu, who is interested in the Nairobi gubernatorial seat, to participate in the nominations while Starehe MP also interested in the same seat awaits clearance from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
Wanjiru’s candidature has been questioned after the Kenya Commission for Higher Education rejected her educational qualifications. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission stipulates that all candidates for the seat of governor must be holders of a degree from a university recognised in Kenya. 
Wanjiru who has a doctorate is said to have earned it from an American institution that is not recognised locally.
 The TNA National Elections Board said the decision to withhold Waititu’s clearance is based on the fact that he bears two different names in different official documents he presented to the party and it was therefore not possible to verify his real name.
In one document, he is identified as Clifford Ndung’u Waititu while in another he is Ferdinand Ndung’u Waititu. 
 “It is our advice that as things stand Mr Waititu would not be allowed to contest for the nomination for governor under the TNA ticket. The party is committed to making a decisive break from the past and introduce a new standard to party democracy,” states the TNA elections board.
The documents that bear the name Clifford are his 1981 Kenya Certificate of Education and leaving certificate from Siri Guru  college in India, while ‘Ferdinand’ is in his national Identity Card, Higher Education Loans Board documents, Kenya Revenue Authority and Credit Reference Bureau Africa limited.
“In light of the foregoing, it is unlikely that the degree certificate in the name of Clifford Ndungu Waititu belongs to the said Mr Ferdinand Ndungu Waititu and unless additional satisfactory evidence is adduced, he stands barred,” states the  report prepared by the board.
On Saturday, during the Jubilee alliance rally at Uhuru Park, Waititu alluded to the  hurdle he is facing and said individuals whom he did not name were behind his woes.
Criminal investigation
Sources within the party intimated to The People that Waititu may be disqualified by IEBC were he to win the TNA nomination, leaving the party with no gubernatorial candidate for Nairobi.
“This is a risk the party is not willing to take. Nairobi is the nerve centre of the country and it’s unthinkable a serious party like TNA not having a candidate for governor,” said the source.
The actions by the TNA came on the day the ODM elections Board led by the Chairman Franklin Bett said it had cleared immigration minister Otieno Kajwang to be on the nomination contest, but clarified that the vetting exercise will be finalised today.
Kajwang’s nomination had been questioned after the party elections board received complaints on the candidature of whether he was fit to participate, given that his name had been struck off the roll of practicing advocates.
Addressing a news conference yesterday, Bett who met with returning officers from all over the country, apart from Nairobi, said they had received a number of petitions and complaints against some candidates.
 He said: “We have gone into a meticulous and comprehensive exercise where we are looking at the requirements list for candidates and we are eliminating those who are not qualified. We are also critically looking at petitions and complaints from citizens as we have received quite a number.”
 Bett, who assured that the exercise would be free and fair, said those participating in the exercise would vote by secret ballot and through both universal suffrage and delegates’ system.
  The universal suffrage will be used in 29 counties which have been marked as weak areas for Jubilee while the delegate’s system will be used in 25 counties which are labelled strong areas. 
 And speaking to The People, URP chairman Francis ole Kaparo confirmed that names of the spirants to participate in the nomination exercise will be on party ballot papers today.
 He said: “We have concluded all the preparations and the names will be on the ballot papers today.”
National Alliance TNA Secretary General Onyango Oloo said they will conclude the vetting exercise today in order to ensure the names are on the ballot papers before Thursday.
Yesterday it was a beehive of activities in the three main coalition parties, Cord, Jubilee and Amani as officials did the last minute preparation for Thursday. 
 At the ODM office, Bett said  they will have five polling stations per ward which would be located strategically, adding that polling station located in schools would be mounted 500 metres away from the classrooms
TNA on the other hand said the nominations would be done in social halls and churches to avoid interrupting classes, while URP said they were still trying to secure enough centres for the nomination exercise.         
This came even as the police confirmed that enough police officers will be deployed to man polling stations on Thursday when political parties hold nominations. 
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Ndegwa Muhoro said there was the need of adequate security.