6,000 independent candidates cleared to vie for elective positions

Thousands of nomination losers have rushed to secure independent tickets ahead of the deadline.

More than 6,000 independent candidates have so far been cleared to run for all the six elective positions effectively making their candidature the single largest than any other party in the 2022 General Election.

The deadline for independent candidates to file their papers is midnight on May 2. Hundreds of disgruntled nomination losers in the Deputy President William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA), Raila Odinga's ODM, and Jubilee ditched their parties over claims of irregularities in the exercise. 

Registrar of Political Parties (RPP) Anne Nderitu in an interview with The Standard said that  registration of the independent candidates will continue throughout the holiday period to ensure that no one who is eligible to vie for elective seats is locked out.

"We have our system where the independent candidates are supposed to follow the procedures therein and make sure that the process is professional, fair, and legitimate. Once they complete the registration in the portal, the system verifies and generates a certificate which we sign and give them," said Ms Nderitu.

The RPP spoke as her staff attended to thousands of independent candidates who converged at the Westlands Primary School grounds to either collect their certificates or get clearance through the IPPMS system that automatically deregisters one from any political party before approving the paperwork required and award of certificates.

Yesterday's figures indicated that there were about 5,000 Member of County Assembly candidates, more than 1,000 parliamentary aspirants including 200 Woman Representatives, 100 Senate candidates, 70 governors, and 10 presidential candidates.   

Ms Nderitu said there will be no extension after the May 2 deadline to register independent candidates. "Unless the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) decides to give those interested more time," she said.

She attributed the increase in the numbers compared to the about 4,000 last year to the ease of registration and reduced paperwork required.

UDA, the ruling Jubilee Party and ODM which initially had thousands of aspirants have seen the numbers shrink after the primaries.

The issuance of ODM direct ticket to Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga to contest for governor pushed former Nairobi governor Evans Kidero to run as an independent candidate.  

Among the aspirants who have secured the independent tickets include the Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter after the UDA Electoral and Nomination Dispute Resolution Committee nullified his victory in the party primaries citing malpractices and awarded the ticket to Benard Kitur.

Baringo Governor Stanley Kiptis, who lost in the UDA primaries will defend his seat as an independent candidate. In Nandi, UDA nominations losers, Aldai MP Cornelly Serem and Wilson Kogo (Chesumei) have declared that they will defend their seats on an independent ticket.

In Uasin Gishu county, Robert Kemei and lawyer Kipchumba Karori are among UDA primaries losers who will contest for Senate as independent candidates. They will face off with Governor Jackson Mandago, who won the UDA ticket while former Kapsaret/Simat MCA Pauline Tuwei will be challenging Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi on an independent ticket. 

In 2017 elections, former Senator Mohamed Kuti and former MP Ndiritu Muriithi became the first independent candidates to win governor seats. Thirteen members of National Assembly and Meru Woman Representative Kawira Mwangaza won their seats on independent ticket.