Jubilee to swap county officials presiding over party nominations

Jubilee Party will swap party officials presiding over nominations in the counties to ensure fair and transparent nominations.

President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday said this would ensure that no aspirant was disadvantaged during the party primaries.

“When we say we are standing for free and fair nominations, we mean it. Party officials at county level will be swapped during nominations so that the officials of one county are deployed to oversee the nominations in another county,” the President told a leaders’ meeting in Maralal, Samburu County.

“County officials will be swapped during nominations to avoid bias. The officials in Samburu County could be sent to another county and the officials from Kwale can come and oversee the nominations here.”

Uhuru said his party would also request the support of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in conducting credible nominations.

TONE DOWN

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While asking Jubilee Party rivals to tone down their differences, Uhuru reiterated that neither he nor his deputy William Ruto had preferred candidates and that aspirants should stop aligning themselves hoping to get favours.

“There is democracy in Jubilee Party and all aspirants contesting for various seats should know that we have no preferred candidates. The people’s choice will be our choice so stop aligning yourselves with either me or my deputy,” he said.

He promised Jubilee aspirants who failed to win the elections would be given other responsibilities by the Jubilee administration.

The President, who was in the county to sensitise the residents about voter registration, asked them to turn out in large numbers.

Uhuru asked the youth to ensure that they were registered so that they could vote for the right leaders to guide the economy of the county.

“The majority of those without voters’ cards are the youth, who are also the most vibrant campaigners. But if they have no voting cards, how will they help the candidates they are supporting?”

He said the process of acquiring national ID cards would be made easier so that those of legal age could get their IDs in time to register as voters.

The President also cautioned the youth against being incited to violence during the campaign season.

“The politicians incite you to fight and you end up in hospital but the politicians will meet in the evening while you suffer alone,” said the President.

SECOND TERM

He urged the residents to support Jubilee Party and elect him for a second term, saying the Government had done a lot of development work and more would come after the elections.

“You have seen what my Government has done in terms of development and I give you my assurance that no one will be left out of the development programme,” he said.

On the ongoing drought and famine, the President said the Government would buy livestock that would be slaughtered for local consumption by hunger-stricken families in the affected counties.

He further said the Government woudl supply relief food to the schools in the counties that were badly hit by drought and hunger to ensure that learning was not disrupted.

The President later visited Doldol, Rumuruti and Nyahururu.