Thursday, January 10, 2013

Cord, Jubilee plot to stop defections


Nominations threaten to tear apart coalitions

Mr Johnson Sakaja, the chairman of  The National Alliance (TNA)  which is a member of the Jubilee coalition, said they were psychologically preparing aspirants for any eventuality. Photo/FILE
By BERNARD NAMUNANE bnamunane@ke.nationmedia.com  ( email the author)

Posted  Thursday, January 10  2013 at  00:30
In Summary
  • Fresh headache for party leaders as key supporters fight for senate, governor slots
  • Uhuru and Raila teams create softlanding for losers in party primaries set for Thursday next week, with some expected to be picked as deputy governors to block them from decamping to rival teams ahead of tight polls
Political parties are steeling themselves for nomination battles which will see key political figures fall by the wayside.
Though the three main alliances are shying away from publishing nomination lists for fear of political fallouts, they are all holding their breath for the nominations scheduled for Thursday next week.
The toughest nomination battles will be fought for positions of governor and senator.
On Wednesday, Mr Johnson Sakaja, the chairman of The National Alliance (TNA) which is a member of the Jubilee coalition, said they were psychologically preparing aspirants for any eventuality.
“We are preparing each of the aspirants by telling them that they are likely to lose. The effect is such that it requires professional counselling. However, we will first ensure that the contest if free and fair,” he said.
To avoid a fallout, he said, they will make some of the losers deputy governors, absorb them in ministries and county governments. (READ: Parties work hard to ward off fallouts)
Difficult task
The Cord coalition will have a difficult task in handling the nominations for Mombasa County senate seat being contested by assistant minister Ramadhan Seif Kajembe and former Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) vice chairman Hassan Omar Hassan.
The two are staunch members of Cord presidential candidate Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement, with Mr Kajembe boasting of long experience and Mr Hassan promising a new vision for the Coastal county.
The coalition, which brings together ODM, Wiper Democratic Movement and Ford Kenya, also faces a headache in the nominations for a candidate for the Mombasa governor’s position. ODM’s Ali Hassan Joho is fighting for the Cord ticket against Wiper’s Abdalla Mwaruwa, a former Kenya Ports Authority boss.
Mr Joho, a close ally of Mr Odinga, promises a fresh leadership to the county while Mr Mwaruwa says he will use his long experience in management to move Mombasa to prosperity.
In Nairobi County, Cord faces an even tougher task in handling the nominations for the governor and senator positions. Former Mumias Sugar chief executive Evans Kidero, assistant minister Margaret Wanjiru and former Nairobi Town Clerk Philip Kisia are fighting for the coalition’s governor ticket.

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