Kanu complies with two-thirds rule for all seats

KANU Secretary General Nick Salat speaks during a meeting of aspirants from across the country in preparation for the August general elections at the party's headquarters in Nairobi on February 15, 2022. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Kanu party has achieved the two-third gender rule in the number of candidates in all the elective positions submitted to IEBC yesterday.

According to Edward Kivuvani, the chair of the National Elections Board, the party has fielded women candidates in all the elective positions, majority of whom are MCAs.

“We are happy to report that as a party, we have achieved the two-thirds gender principle in the list of aspirants that we have submitted to the IEBC.

“As at now, we are fully compliant as a party in all fronts,” said Kivuvani. 

In a letter dated April 27, 2022, to all the political parties, IEBC chair Wafula Chebukati directed that all political parties must adhere to the two-thirds gender principle in the final list that they will submit to the IEBC. 

“You are hereby reminded that all Political Parties participating in the upcoming general election must comply with the existing statutory obligations and ensure all lists of nominated candidates for the 290 Constituency based elective positions for members of the National Assembly and 47 county-based positions for the members of Senate must comply with the two-thirds gender rule,” read the letter in part.

Consultative meeting

The letter is as a result of the judgement delivered in the constitutional petition No. 19 of 2017 in Katiba Institute vs Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. 

Kivuvani added that the party will convene a consultative meeting of all the candidates with the leadership early next month.

“We will convene a meeting with all the aspirants in early May because the party leadership wants to communicate with the aspirants on the party’s expectations of them as well as the support the party will give to the aspirants,” said Kivuvani. 

The party, which is in Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Political Party and has since declared it will support the candidature of Raila Odinga as the president in the August election.

On his part, Kanu secretary general Nick Salat said that the party will not adopt zoning of electoral areas that has been proposed by some coalition member parties.

“We have not given our consent to zoning as a party. We are a national political party and we cannot be constrained in a particular zone,” said Salat. 

He has assured party members that anyone who has applied to be a candidate and has complied with all the requirements will be awarded the nomination certificate.

The commission has warned that any party that will not comply with the two-thirds gender principle will have their aspirants’ list rejected and thereafter accorded the opportunity to revise it pending re-submission within forty eight hours.