Top presidential hopefuls William Ruto and Raila Odinga are cutting deals to save allies from nominations that could occasion falling-outs.
Deputy President Ruto has lately retreated to his official Karen residence to broker truces in some areas in an effort to avert potentially acrimonious United Democratic Alliance (UDA) primaries scheduled for Thursday next week.
Some of the negotiations have extended to UDA’s Kenya Kwanza Alliance allies – Amani National Congress (ANC) of Mr Musalia Mudavadi and Ford Kenya of Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula.
Equally, Mr Odinga’s Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition has opted for consensus in picking candidates for top seats in Mombasa, Siaya, Kisumu, Migori, Kisii and Homa Bay counties.
Push for consensus
With lessons from past nominations on how the exercise can split parties or coalitions, the two leading presidential contenders are making last ditch efforts to push for consensus, with those that drop their ambitions being promised key jobs in the county or national governments, should their teams be victorious on August 9.
Just Wednesday, the DP announced a deal in which North Mugirango MP Joash Nyamoko’s opponent, Dr Mary Kerubo Nyasimi, withdrew from the race.
In another, Ms Hellen Makone abandoned her Senate bid, pledging to support Mr Mose Nyambega.
Samburu Governor Moses Lenolkulal was absorbed into Dr Ruto’s presidential campaign team on Tuesday after dropping his Senate bid in favour of incumbent Steve Lelegwe.
Mr James Mutiso dropped his bid for Yatta parliamentary seat to rally behind Ms Anastacia Muendo.
East Africa Legislative Assembly MP Wanjiku Muhia will secure the UDA direct ticket to contest the Kipipiri parliamentary seat after Mr Francis Chihi stepped down.
Campaign board
On Monday, the DP convinced Mr Charles Matoke of ANC to shelve his ambition for the Kisii governor seat in favour of Nyaribari Masaba MP Ezekiel Machogu of UDA.
Weeks ago, he convinced former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale to drop his bid to succeed Governor Wycliffe Oparanya in favour of incumbent Senator Cleophas Malala of ANC.
“We want to consolidate our Kenya Kwanza team and face our opponents in a much more efficient and effective way,” the DP said at the time.
A similar deal was struck in Nyeri where Governor Mutahi Kahiga was assured of UDA ticket and his rival Wahome Mwangi “Wamatinga” asked to go for the Senate position.
In Tharaka Nithi, DP Ruto convinced Senator Kithure Kindiki not to challenge Governor Muthomi Njuki for the UDA ticket.
Narok Woman Representative Soipan Tuya and Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo have dropped their bids for governor and thrown their weight behind former Labour Chief Administrative Secretary Patrick Ntutu.
A similar scenario is playing out in Mr Odinga’s camp.
Back Gladys Wanga
The party said last week that seven aspirants had agreed to back Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga for the governor seat.
The hopefuls were reportedly promised jobs in the county and national governments if Mr Odinga becomes president.
“The aspirants invited party officials after extensive consultations. They’ve agreed to support Ms Wanga. They have a responsibility to go out and campaign for ODM,” Mr Odinga said.
ODM National Elections Board (NEB) chairperson Catherine Mumma said though primaries have begun in certain areas, consensus building across the country is on.
“Our first method is consensus. We allow aspirants to talk to one another directly or through a third party. We’re doing all we can to avoid falling-outs. As a party, we want to move as a united front,” she said.
Four options
Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi, who is the chairman of Mr Odinga’s campaign board, earlier said Azimio La Umoja has four options: consensus, negotiations, opinion polls and universal suffrage (joint nominations).
“We can use consensus to avoid conflict. We can also use data. If you are polling at two per cent and another person is at 45 per cent, that tells you that the latter is the stronger,” Mr Muriithi.
Jubilee’s Party Elections Director and Kieni MP Kanini Kega said Azimio La Umoja would not allow individual interests to make the coalition vulnerable to rival Kenya Kwanza.
He said Azimio would be forced to field one candidate for every seat in areas like Nairobi, to have a better chance of winning.
“We will agree on candidates because we don’t want to split our votes,” Mr Kega said.
The DP’s Presidential Elections Director and Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok said that, in areas UDA-affiliated parties are dominant, its aspirants are likely to step down in favour of the other outfit.
Handled with a lot of care
He said such situations are being handled with a lot of care so as not to brew storms in the coalition.
The Turkana governor cited areas consensus has been applied successfully,
“In areas where we think that friendly political parties have more strength and aspirants cannot agree, there will be an election. If we interfere with that, we might end up losing those votes to the opponent,” he said.
UDA chairman Johnson Muthama said the party is likely to use opinion polls in regions universal suffrage and consensus will not work.
“Option number one is where the voters are given powers to nominate candidates. Option two, where there is dispute, then we go through opinion polls,” the former Machakos senator said.
“If one and two don’t work, then we go to consensus. One of the three will give us a solution.”
Secret polls
Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa said secret polls are being conducted every two weeks.
“Opinion polls are part of our election management. We will apply scientific surveys to see who is popular in some areas. We do these polls every two weeks across the country. Our system is robust,” Mr Barasa told the Daily Nation.
However, UDA Secretary-General Veronica Maina told the Nation that, it’s not likely polls would be used in the primaries “since it was not applied in the presidential nomination”.
“Polls have their scientific role but they only give a general guide, depending on the source many a time. Our governance can never be determined by opinion polls, however scientific they may be,” Ms Maina said.
“Democratic rights must be weighed among other issues. Polls can’t override the rights of aspirants. We must allow people to practise their democratic rights.”
“Today’s polls might not be similar in future. It’s not laid out in our constitution and that is why you didn’t see it in the presidential nomination.”
Credit: Source link