Parties miss KNCHR meeting on nominations

By Geoffrey Mosoku

NAIROBI, KENYA: Big political parties on Monday skipped a meeting convened by the Kenyan National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) to discuss the forthcoming party nominations.

Representatives from TNA, URP, UDF, Ford Kenya and Wiper parties were among those absent from the meeting held at the KICC and attended by officials from 38 of the 52 registered parties.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s ODM only sent its National Elections Board member Joseph Misoi to the meeting to discuss the rules of engagement between the rights body and the political parties during the forthcoming nominations.

KNHCR had convened a stakeholders meeting that was also attended by the Registrar of Political Parties Lucy Ndung’u to highlight on the commission’s plan to monitor their party primaries.

The rights watchdog said it has prepared a checklist to monitor the exercise to ensure that it is conducted in a manner that promotes the rule of law and respect for human rights.

Transparent manner

“As we speak, political parties are preparing themselves for nominations and KNHCR has already observed some challenges in this process, which include negative ethnicity, lack of transparency in the nomination process, intimidation of candidates, manipulation of membership list and violence against women aspirants,” acting chair Anne Ngugi told the political parties.

Ms Ngugi said the realisation of the new Constitution and enactment of laws such as political parties and elections Act provide for public participation in political party activities, which she said must be done in a transparent manner since “parties are no longer private members clubs”.

“It is our hope that parties will be interested in helping the country begin building a democratic culture that thrives on participation of citizens,” she added.

National Gender and Equality Commission chair Winnie Lichuma said although the Supreme Court ruled that the one-third gender rule will be applied progressively, parties should implement internal affirmative action to ensure women are elected to national and county assemblies.

Election losers

“Parties should nominate and support women candidates to win elective seats as a way of ensuring that the gender quota can be filled even in the coming elections,” Ms Lichuma said.

She also advised women not to bank on the women representative seats alone but compete in all elective posts. She urged parties to consider persons with disabilities for nomination slots instead of election losers.

Ndung’u warned politicians against engaging in bribery and other election malpractice, saying the law will not spare anybody who violates it.

Several groups have called for peace to ensure the January 17 nominations perceived to be a mirror of what the final outcome of the March polls are held in fairness.