Of by-elections and scientific surveys in party nominations

NAIROBI: I hear the opposition party Cord is conducting nominations for the forthcoming Kajiado Central parliamentary seat. From the Homa Bay experience, I expect the coalition will conduct in Kajiado what its secretariat calls a "scientific survey," whose unpublished findings might lead to the selection of the outgoing MP's relative picked as potential successor.

This is normally done through a direct nomination since party members are unlikely to participate in the said scientific survey.