Confusion, violence spoil party primaries

By Standard Team

Voters destroy a ballot box at Taifa Park, Railway ward in Kisumu, after learning that it was meant for Market ward in Milimani during ODM nominations in Kisumu County, on Thursday. [PHOTO: COLLINS ODUOR/STANDARD]

KENYA: What was billed to be a ‘mini-election’ by way of countrywide nominations by three key political coalitions ended up a monumental shame after chaos and confusion ruled the day.

In one unexplained surge of impunity, a police officer in Baringo County triggered protests in Seguton Ward by gunning down a voter.

In Homa Bay a returning officer was stripped naked and a former MP was arrested for attempting to run away with a ballot box and nomination papers.

It was also the day a minister and his assistant — Mr Soita Shitanda and Bishop Margaret Wanjiru — were locked out of the race for Governor’s office because of failing to meet the threshold of a university degree.

Several well-known politicians from various parties also managed to pull through either by getting no opposition in the tickets they were seeking or getting automatic nominations. But as the confusion ensued, with some parties postponing the exercises, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission relaxed its January 18 deadline for parties to submit their final lists.

They now have until Monday to do so, as well as three days — tomorrow till Tuesday to arbitrate internal disputes over the outcome.

Those aggrieved have been given until 5pm on January 22 to file their protests with IEBC. The Commission will adjudicate and determine on all such disputes by 25th January 2013.

The confusion, isolated cases of violence and chaos reigned during nominations carried out by Mr Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee, Mr Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani and Mr Raila Odinga’s Coalition for Reforms and Democracy. There was widespread lack of adequate preparation and logistical disorder leading to delays in delivering voting material, a fact that in some areas led to comical use of plastic buckets as ballot boxes and plain papers on which one just scribbled the name of his or her favourite candidate.

Credible candidates

The charade witnessed on Thursday cast doubts on whether parties can still be trusted as the bastions of democracy, through presentation of popular and credible candidates in the main election.

On Thursday, party officials at Orange Democratic Movement, The National Alliance and United Republican Party offices, convened news conferences to announce they had pushed the nomination exercises in some areas to today.

“TNA wishes to announce that it has moved nominations in areas where there were no elections to tomorrow (today) because of delays in getting the voters register from IEBC,” Secretary General Johnson Sakaja said. URP chairman Francis Ole Kaparo gave similar reasons but a survey by The Standard revealed that both parties failed to deliver voting materials as expected.

ODM Elections Board Chairman, Mr Franklin Bett, said a repeat exercise would be conducted in Migori, Homa Bay and some wards in Kisumu County between 6am and mid-day today.

The parties will, however, need not look for alternative venues because last night Head of Civil Service Francis Kimemia overturned a directive by Education secretary Prof George Godia that learning in public primary schools resumes today.

“Public primary schools will remain closed on Friday following logistical challenges that confronted many political party nominations today,” said Kimemia.

He added 85 per cent of polling stations are in schools and warned no more closures will be allowed. He said any damages to school assets will billed to the parties concerned.

Hundreds of voters turned out ready for the nomination exercise at polling centres across the country but later went home, angry, tired and frustrated after waiting in vain the whole day.

A man lost his life at Mumberes, Koibatek Constituency, after he was allegedly shot by a police officer for protesting over insufficient voting materials.

Scores of party supporters were also injured in several incidents, mostly in Nyanza, where aspirants engaged in a fierce contest for ODM tickets.

Jubilee Alliance parties — TNA and URP — failed to hold nominations in many parts of the country due to non-delivery of voting materials.

Despite the hitches, the Jubilee Coalition dished out free tickets to selected aspirants after “powerful forces” within the party hierarchy gave orders.

Among those who already have certificates in their pockets are Ali Chirau Mwakwere (URP-Senate-Kwale), Naomi Shabaan (TNA-Senate-Taita Taveta), Samuel Poghisio (URP –Senate –West Pokot) and Ekwee Ethuro (URP-Senate-Turkana).

Reserved seats

In Rift Valley ODM also handed free tickets to three nominees, Mr Henry Kosgey (Senate, Nandi), Prof Margaret Kamar (Governor-Uasin Gishu) and Dr Sally Kosgei (MP–Aldai). In Nairobi, Senate and Women representative positions were missing on ODM ballot papers as word did rounds they had been reserved for Bishop Wanjiru and her Kasarani counterpart Elizabeth Ongoro.

Other sources said the party had reserved the position of women representative for Wanjiru.

Bett however dismissed claims she had been offered the position but confirmed her academic papers failed to meet requirements set in the Elections Act. “She is a very strong party member who has taken the decision diligently and is also free to run for any other position,” said Bett.

Last-minute defections also saw human rights activist Hassan Omar of ODM getting Wiper Democratic Party ticket and former Nairobi Town Clerk Phillip Kisia also moving out of ODM to join Federal party of Kenya.