By GEOFFREY MOSOKU

Nairobi, Kenya: Former Town Clerk Philip Kisia’s name may not appear in the March 4 ballot even after defecting from ODM to Federal Party of Kenya (FPK) as the Cord alliance is determined to field one candidate in Nairobi.

Kisia Thursday ditched ODM has it emerged that he had failed to apply for the Orange party’s ticket to contest the Nairobi governorship against Dr. Evans Kidero. He had also failed to pay aspirant’s fee of 200,000 shillings.

While defecting, he claimed money had been used to interfere with the nomination process saying although he was a paid up life member of ODM, he wanted to be sure on the fairness of the process before paying the aspirants fee.

FPK party leader Cyrus Jirongo confirmed that Cord alliance leaders will hold discussion with a view of fielding one candidate in both Nairobi and Mombasa.

“Cord had announced a plan to hold joint nominations in Nairobi and Mombasa but this has not taken place and thus there is room for arbitration,” Jirongo said while receiving Kisia at the party headquarters in Nairobi.

Cord presidential nominee Raila Odinga and his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka are expected to meet Thursday evening to harmonise a list of nominees in Nairobi, Mombasa and other swing vote areas which will be presented Friday at the IEBC.

A 'rapid response team' had also been appointed to negotiate within the alliance parties on one common candidate per seat.

Kisia will be granted a senior government appointment if Cord win so as to step down for Kidero who will run alongside Jonathan Mueke of Wiper as his running mate.

Discussions were underwayThursday evening to convince former Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru who was knocked out of the governorship race due to questions on the credibility of her academic degree contest for the Nairobi women representative seat.

Just like in Nairobi, Kalonzo’s Wiper was to nominate Ali Hassan Joho’s running mate for the Mombasa governorship post after the outgoing Kisauni MP got nominated unopposed.

The Raila Odinga presidential secretariat announced on its social network, twitter, that Ali Hassan Joho (Mombasa-governor), Dr Evans Kidero (Nairobi-governor), David Musila (Kitui-Senate), James Orengo (Siaya-senate),  Gitobu Imanyara (Meru-senate) and  Ramadhan Kajembe (Mombasa-senate) had already been nominated.

 

At the same time, Mzalendo Saba Saba party has accused TNA of poaching their Kigumo parliamentary aspirant illegally.

In a letter to TNA and copied to the registrar of political parties Lucy Ndung’u dated  January 16, Mzalendo  Saba saba said that Lawrence Mburu Memia is a bona fide member of the party.

“We are protesting to your office for including our candidate for Kigumo parliamentary nomination to be held on 17, Jan 2013,” National Organizing secretary Stephen Gathuo wrote to TNA. The nominations were pushed to Friday.

An official search at the Registrar of political parties indicates that Memia from Muranga County is listed as Mzalendo Saba Saba member number MSS344456.

If the aspirant is struck out, then Nairobi Metropolitan Minister Jamleck Kamau may benefit from the technical error and get an automatic TNA nomination to defend his Kigumo parliamentary seat.

In Nairobi, outgoing Nairobi mayor George Aladwa joined Dr Kidero in securing the ODM nomination to fly the Cord flag in Makadara constituency. Aladwa went in unopposed.

Former LSK chairman Okong’o  O’Mogeni  dreams of becoming the Nyamira senate were boosted as he was cleared in ODM to contest the seat. 

By Thursday evening, it’s only O’Mogeni who had been cleared for the Nyamira senate position on ODM and Cord ticket by extension. The former LSK boss is a close ally of both Raila and Kalonzo.

Earlier, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka had hired three choppers to ferry ballot papers and boxes to far flung areas were the nominations exercise had been delayed due to lack of the materials.

ODM’s Kidero is almost certain to face stock broker Jimnah Mbaru whose nomination as a TNA candidate is all but assured.  Mbaru’s competitors Ferdinand Waititu, according to TNA sources will be barred from contesting due to queries over his Punjab college degree while John Gakuo will be requested to either become Mabru’s running mate or seek another position.