Ticket battles with preferred candidates to rock coalitions

By Stephen Ndegwa

The move by MPs to extend the period within which they can defect to other parties by a further 15 days has needlessly taken many Kenyans aback.

According to the amended section 29 of the Constitution, “A political party that nominates a person for any election under this Act shall submit to the Commission a party membership list of the party at least 45 days before the date of the General Election”.

Reality seems to have dawned on MPs that with the shifting alliances, their previous strongholds might be up for grabs by newly “preferred” candidates in the emerging political equations.

For instance, any legislator who now wants to vie for a Governor’s seat might find the slot reserved for a more influential person who was the MP of a different constituency within the County. Therefore, the legislators need more time to move on in case they feel short changed.

The fact that majority of Kenyan politicians have no scruples is not contestable. Ever since the introduction of multiparty politics, our politicians have not seen a sailing ship that they do not want to jump in!

Party hopping, or what we popularly refer to as defection, was perfected by the Kenya African National Union (Kanu) either to stop some of the party’s influential politicians from leaving or to woo the ones deemed as valuable after the introduction of multiparty politics in 1992.

The motivation for the politicians here was money and everyone had a price. 

But many analysts think Kanu’s supremacy has since faded with subsequent elections. Consequently, the gravy train that lured most politicians is no more. But that does not mean our politicians have styled up. It is still the same politics of survival for most of them and they will change parties like diapers until they get a ticket for the ballot box.

Today, the survival of the recently formed political alliances stands on quicksand as we shift to party nominations in the next couple of weeks. Indeed, it is highly likely that arising from the inevitable fallout during the primaries, Jubilee Coalition might end up looking like the Coalition for Reforms and Development (CORD) and vice versa.

The recent statement attributed to Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo that anyone planning to contest the Siaya County gubernatorial post against Dr Oburu Oginga should decamp from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is a pointer to the predicament facing many aspirants.

The previous reassurance by ODM leader Raila Odinga that the party’s primaries would be free and fair falls flat on this statement. Knowing who Midiwo is, his statement sounds like the official line. All other talk of internal democracy is simply window-dressing.

In fact, the stepping down by one of the contestants in the Siaya race, Gideon Ochanda, in favour of Raila’s brother Oburu is a pointer of things to come.

Top lieutenants

We do not know what compromises or promises were made for Ochanda to throw in the towel but his move follows the recent rapprochement between Oburu and one of Raila’s top lieutenants Lands Minister James Orengo for the same seat. Orengo was promised the senatorial position!

In Nairobi, the same problem seems to be plaguing ODM’s gubernatorial race especially between Bishop Margaret Wanjiru of the Jesus is Alive Ministries and former Mumias Sugar chief executive officer Evans Kidero.

The latter has already sent out a warning to his party leadership not to play favourites with any candidate. If the primaries for this seat are not seen to be done above board, it is bound to be messy.

In Jubilee things will not be any different even though the leadership is trying to put up a brave face amidst the looming crises.

For example, a fierce contest is expected between former Chairman of Nairobi Securities Exchange Jimnah Mbaru, former Nairobi Town Clerk John Gakuo and Embakasi legislator Ferdinand Waititu for Governorship under The National Alliance (TNA) ticket.

This even before you factor in any expected candidates from coalition partners United Republican Party.

Already, Waititu, Makadara MP Gideon ‘Sonko’ Mbuvi and ODM nominated MP Rachel Shebesh have positioned themselves as TNA frontrunners using billboards in Nairobi for the position of Governor, Senator and women’s representative respectively.

Between these candidates, there are those TNA might believe stand the best chance of being elected both at a party and coalition level either because they are party apparatchiks or are deemed to be more popular.

But that is my opinion. Let the games begin!

The writer is a communication and media specialist.