Deputy President William Ruto assures of fair party primaries

Deputy President William Ruto gives students of St Teresa Girls Eastleigh a ‘high five’ when he attended a church service at their school. Ruto has assured Jubilee Party aspirants of free and fair nominations at the primaries. (PHOTO: DPPS)

Deputy President William Ruto has assured Jubilee Party aspirants of free and fair nominations at the primaries.

The assurance comes amid growing anxiety in major political parties about the nominations.

Mr Ruto dismissed claims that the party, on whose ticket President Uhuru Kenyatta will seek re-election, plans to endorse some candidates for various elective seats.

The DP was responding to statements by aspirants for Nairobi's governor position - Nairobi Senator Mike Mbuvi Sonko, Dagoretti South MP Denis Waweru and former Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru - who sought assurances about the nominations.

Water Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa and nominated MP Johnston Sakaja are also in the running for a Jubilee Party ticket to contest the governor's seat.

To settle the discomfort, Uhuru and Ruto have assured the aspirants that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will conduct the primaries.

"I want to make it clear that the nomination exercise will be carried out by the IEBC and I want to assure Kenyans that the exercise will reflect the wishes of the people," Ruto said in Nairobi's Mathare constituency on Sunday evening.

Mr Sonko, Mr Waweru and Ms Wanjiru stressed the need for Jubilee to ensure free and fair nominations to enable the party to capture the seat currently held by Evans Kidero of ODM.

Other leaders present at St Teresa Girls High School where Ruto spoke were MPs Irungu Kangata (Kiharu), Stephen Kariuki (Mathare), Kanini Kega (Kieni), Regina Ndambuki (Kilome) and Moses Kuria (Gatundu North).

The leaders said they would do everything possible to ensure that Jubilee captured the Nairobi seat in next year's elections.

"We want to assure the party that we will support the candidate who emerges the winner after the party's nominations to ensure that the leadership of Nairobi remains with Jubilee," said Mr Waweru.

"As aspirants for the Nairobi governor's seat, we want to make it clear that we will support the best candidate after the nominations so that the party does not lose the seat to those in the opposition," said Sonko.

The passage of a clause in the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill 2016 that bars party hopping has sparked fears among politicians belonging to the country's major political outfits.

And coupled with a history of bungled party primaries, both Jubilee and CORD are fast moving to assure their election hopefuls that the exercise will be credible to avert defections to smaller parties ahead of the nominations.

"There will be no direct nominations in Jubilee. It is upon the aspirants to seek votes from the people. And there will be no favouritism," said Ruto.

He said everyone was free to seek any of the available elective seats.