Raila leads battle to keep Bungoma

Former Cabinet minister Musikari Kombo displays his  certificate after he was cleared by IEBC. 2. Former Bumula MP Bifwoli Wakoli is handed his certificate by Bungoma County IEBC returning officer Ben Misati.

By STANDARD TEAM

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga today leads over 50 MPs to launch CORD’s bid to recapture the Bungoma Senate seat, as UDF’s Isa

Timamy successfully petitioned the courts to restore his election as Lamu governor.

The Court of Appeal in Malindi yesterday upheld Timamy’s election, which had been nullified by the High Court in September, and put the

Brakes on a by-election scheduled for December 2.

The National Alliance’s Fahim Twaha, who had forced the by election following a successful election petition, vowed to challenge the decision at the Supreme Court.

But Timamy’s victory also scrambled a contentious deal that CORD had weaved into its election strategy to help Mr Moses Wetang’ula recapture the Bungoma Senate seat.

Fourteen Senators allied to CORD had declared UDF would back Wetang’ula to recapture the seat, suggesting UDF would withdraw its support for New Ford Kenya’s Musikari Kombo.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) cleared Kombo yesterday.

In exchange, CORD was to help Timamy recapture the Lamu governorship under the deal announced by Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale (UDF) but dismissed by UDF party leader Musalia Mudavadi.

The stakes in the Bungoma Senate by-elections scheduled for December 19 are high especially because CORD is determined to have Wetang’ula, who served as Senate Minority Leader, return to the Senate.

After the High Court stripped Wetang’ula of the Senate seat, it effectively meant all CORD co-principals are out of Parliament. Raila and his co-principal Kalonzo Musyoka were locked out of the House after their unsuccessful run in the March 4 presidential vote.

But a triumphant UDF team will be emboldened in campaigning for Kombo and mocking CORD that the unsolicited backing in Lamu was unnecessary altogether. 

Exuded confidence

Yesterday, celebrations broke out in Malindi and Lamu after the Court of Appeal reinstated Timamy. The three-judge bench ruled High Court judge Justice Florence Muchemi misdirected shouldn’t have nullified his victory on September 26 on the mere basis of missing counterfoils in the ballot boxes.

Today, Raila and former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka will lead over 50 MPs to Bungoma where Wetang’ula will present his nomination papers.

“We are set to take this seat because the people know who represent their interest,” Raila exuded confidence ahead of the polls. Raila said a team would accompany the candidates on a daily basis.

The CORD leaders will thereafter officially launch campaigns for the Ford-Kenya leader in Bungoma town. But the opposition coalition is reeling from allegations of challenges in campaign funds. There is reported discontent that CORD had directed each member to donate Sh100,000 to facilitate the campaigns.

Other parliamentary duels are in Nyaribari Chache and Bomachoge Borabu Constituencies.

Ford People’s candidate for the Bomachoge Borabu parliamentary by-election was yesterday cleared by the IEBC to run against TNA’s Joel Onyancha and Peter Kimori of ODM. Kimori was cleared yesterday while Onyancha will present his papers today.

ODM’s Chris Bichage is fighting to retain his Nyaribari Chache seat.

The campaigns are a major test for CORD’s unity amid allegations that Jubilee had planted ‘moles’ and fury that governors have given party affairs a wide berth.

In Kisii, there are protests from local elected leaders that the party is enlisting campaigners from outside their region.  The Kisii campaign team is lead by Kitutu Chache South MP Richard Onyonka and his Kitutu Masaba counterpart Timothy Bosire.

Tight race

 “We want exclusivity in the campaigns so that we work as a team to deliver the seats, but if we fail that test then we will blame ourselves,” Kisii deputy governor Joash Maangi said.

Wetang’ula had initially faced a scare to his candidature after the Director of Public Prosecution Keriako Tobiko instructed the police to investigate him for alleged electoral offences.

But High Court judge Justice Francis Gikonyo who ruled against him in the petition said he had not barred Wetang’ula from contesting the seat.

Wetang’ula is locked in a tight race with his archrival Kombo, the former Webuye MP.

Mudavadi and New Ford Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa have thrown his weight behind Kombo.

The two parties are under the Amani coalition currently on a post-election pact with the jubilee government.

But, speaking to The Standard after presenting his nomination papers to the IEBC yesterday, Kombo insisted he is a man of his own and will show that at the ballot.

“I can tell you for sure that I am on my own and those breaching the other gospel are really prophets of doom,” said Kombo as he exuded confidence of victory at the ballot.

“We are just going there to endorse him (Wetang’ula), we know he is popular and has managed to electrify voters be sure he is coming back as minority leader of the senate,” Khalwale said.

Budalang’i MP, Ababu Namwamba said Jubilee will be in for a rude shock as CORD will retain the seat with a resounding, victory and urged voters to reject any form of coercion but instead vote for Wetang’ula.