President Uhuru Kenyatta addressing Nakuru Town residents during a voter registration drive in Nakuru County on February 11, 2017. Photo/PSCU

Anxiety in Jubilee after IEBC says won’t oversee primaries

Jubilee has been thrown into a spin after the IEBC rejected its request to conduct party primaries, sparking fears that nominations would be bungled.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy Presidnet William Ruto had said they would involve the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission in party nominations to ensure the process is free, fair and transparent.

Despite the reassurance, IEBC’s refusal has sparked off confusion in the party, forcing the Jubilee secretariat to enter the fray in a bid to boost confidence among aspirants. Jubilee now wants the IEBC to oversee only primaries for governors, senators and woman representatives.

MPs’ and MCAs’ primaries will be run either by the secretariat or an independent agency. Daggers are drawn in the battle for the three top county seats, said to be hotly contested. This has posed a serious threat to party unity amid fears of a fall out if nominations are bungled.

A number of Uhuru’s pointmen from his Central backyard have already switched to smaller parties, including PNU as safe havens. They however, support Uhuru’s reelection.

Anxiety is building in the party as members await the unveiling of the National Elections Board this Friday. The powerful organ will hold the key to the party’s future depending on how it will manage the nominations.

Jubilee head of secretariat Raphael Tuju yesterday confirmed the board will be presented this week.

“It will depend on what role we may want them, with their capacity, to train our people and also have them to be overall returning officers at the county levels,” Tuju told the Star on the phone. He said the party is still keen to have IEBC oversee its nominations under a new framework that would limit its involvement from the wards and constituencies to the county level.

This means the IEBC will oversee and supervise the party’s nominations for governors, senators and woman representatives.

Source : The Star