Franklin Bett opposes use of smart card during Jubilee nominations

Franklin Bett will be contesting for Kericho Governor seat. 

Former Roads Minister Franklin Bett has warned President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto that the use of smart cards to pick jubilee flag bearers, would give rich but unpopular aspirants room to buy the party's tickets.

Speaking after announcing his political bid to unseat Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot in the August General Election, Bett asked the Jubilee leaders to reconsider the proposed use of smart cards to conduct the party preliminaries set for April.

"There is a risk of unpopular but rich aspirants buying the smart cards in bulk and distributing them to their supporters or their strongholds so as to win nominations unfairly," said Bett.

Political aspirants who will clinch the Jubilee tickets in the party's strongholds are expected to smoothly sail through in the August polls since they would virtually face no strong opposition after the country outlawed party hopping after the political parties' preliminaries.

Bett argued that Jubilee still has time to lay down other means of conducting its much anticipated partly preliminaries lest the use of the smart cards wrecks the Uhuru and Ruto's presidential vehicle for this year's and 2022 general election.

“I am advising my party leaders to change the strategy and shelve the plans to use the cards in a bid to guard against bitter political fallout within Jubilee party,” said Bett.

Besides Cheruiyot, Bett would also be squaring out with former National Housing Corporation chairman Sammy Chepkwony, who has been gaining considerable political ground across the six constituencies.

The August polls will serve as a political rematch between Cheruiyot, Bett and Chepkwony after the March 7, 2016 by-election which was occasioned by the elevation of the then Kericho senator Charles Keter to serve as the Energy Cabinet Secretary (CS).

Meanwhile, former National Social Security Fund (NSSF) managing trustee Richard Kipkoech Langat, who is eying the Kericho gubernatorial seat has unveiled a state-of- the-art truck for the use of voter mobilisation in the county.

There has been a low turnout of eligible but unregistered voters in Kericho in the ongoing mass voter registration exercise.

"Much as I will be vying for the Kericho gubernatorial seat which I am confident of clinching, my first priority is to encourage all eligible but unregistered voters to turn up for the mass registration exercise being conducted by the electoral body," said Langat.