A monthly publication
of AFRICANEWS
For the period
covering November 15-December 15, 2002
By Zachary Ochieng
Confusion,
chaos, and blatant malpractices committed by both the ruling party KANU and the
opposition marred the recently concluded party primaries.
In
most instances, leaders of respective parties could not agree on what method to
use to nominate their candidates. While KANU chose the queue voting system, the
National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) relied on the secret ballot, but curiously
used the queue voting method in some areas.
Undemocratic
practices used in the process almost tore the parties apart. Tony Gachoka, who
lost the KANU nominations in Central Province’s Juja constituency and
subsequently decamped to Safina, claims that candidates who were imposed on the
electorate are definitely going to lose during the general election. There were
violent protests in various party headquarters, as losers and their supporters
went to complain of irregularities.
NARC
communications committee chairman Dr Mukisa Kituyi admits that the exercise was
flawed: “We were overwhelmed by logistics. Our party was not yet mature for
nominations of that magnitude. I think the Electoral Commission should handle
party nominations in future.”
In
some constituencies, violence and protests marred the nomination exercise. For
instance, in the Westlands constituency of Nairobi, supporters of the immediate
former MP Fred Gumo attacked those of Betty Tett, seriously injuring them. They
also beat up poll officials and took away ballot papers, leading to a
cancellation of the exercise.
Both
Gumo and Tett were fighting for the NARC ticket. But in a surprise turn of
events, NARC leaders pressured Tett to step down for Gumo, promising to
nominate her to Parliament should the party form the next government.
The controversial nominations saw an unprecedented
exit in large numbers of incumbent MPs. Some MPs who did not make it past the
primaries alleged that they were simply rigged out to give way to the various
party leaders’ wishes. The anomalies took place in both KANU and opposition
parties.
Yvonne Khamati, who sought NARC’s nomination for
Nairobi’s Makadara constituency, did not have kind words for the party after
losing. “Moody Awori, a member of NARC’s summit, already had certificates for
his preferred candidates even before elections were conducted. These
nominations are a sham.”
While losers in KANU crossed over to the opposition,
those from NARC and other opposition parties sought nominations from Safina,
Ford People, and the Social Democratic Party (SDP). The most dramatic case was
that of Minister of the Environment Isaac Ruto. Ruto, a hardened opposition
critic, defected to NARC after losing the party ticket to John Koech, a former
area MP.
Prominent people in the opposition who lost their
seats include outspoken MP Oloo Aringo (Alego/Usonga), Oloo Otula (Kasipul
Kabondo), Matere Keriri (Kerugoya-Kutus), and Lawrence Sifuna (Bumula). Among
the key defectors who lost are former Army Commander Lt. General Augustine
Cheruiyot and President Moi’s brother-in-law Kiptum Choge, who lost in Emgwen
and Aldai constituencies respectively in Nandi District.
Another loser was Mwangi Githiomi (Kipipiri) who was
appointed minister only a month ago after defecting to KANU from NARC. In KANU,
key losers included Water Development Minister Kipngeno arap Ngeny, who lost to
Mark Too in Ainamoi, President Moi’s son Jonathan Toroitich, who lost to
Timothy Sirma in Eldama Ravine, and the maverick Kihika Kimani, who lost in
Molo.
That candidates were rejected within both KANU and
the opposition is an indication that voters now judge the leaders’ performance.
The reasons for voter disenchantment range from the candidates’ personality
flaws to their failure to initiate development projects at the constituency
level.
Analysts, for instance, argue that voters never fully
accepted Ngeny, arguing that President Moi imposed Ngeny on them. Ngeny is also
accused of looting the former Kenya Posts and Telecommunications Corporation
when he was managing director, an allegation that landed him in court.
Toroitich is said to have lost because he was
contesting without the blessings of his father, who preferred Co-operative Bank
of Kenya chairman Hosea Kiplagat. Toroitich’s case was made worse when he
campaigned on a platform of family values, citing cases of children who suffer
after their parents are divorced. President Moi divorced his wife in 1975 when
Toroitich was a teenager and has never remarried.
In Alego/Usonga constituency in Nyanza Province, the
fiery legislator Aringo was shut out because of being a “Nairobi” man who
dwells on national issues at the expense of his constituents. “Even the road
right in front of his gate becomes impassable when it rains. He has been in
parliament for 30 years but has done nothing to help us,” observes George Oloo,
a city trader who hails from Aringo’s constituency.
Aringo was instrumental in making Parliament
autonomous from the Executive. His efforts led to the establishment of the
Parliamentary Service Commission, which oversees the activities of Parliament.
Minister of Rural Development Cyrus Jirongo says of
the fallen giants: “Some us are giants as created by the media. But when you go
to the ground, the record of service delivery to your people tells a totally
different story.” Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Secretary General Joseph
Kamotho concurs: “It is evident that those who have lost the nominations have
not been doing enough in their constituencies.”
There were also cases of party leaders directly
nominating unpopular candidates, even after they were defeated in the
nominations. These include Njenga Karume, who was defeated by Stanley
Githunguri in Kiambaa, and Stephen Ndicho, who was imposed in Juja after being
beaten by William Gathogo. Says Jirongo: “Sometimes in politics, you have to
sit down and agree. If one of you is stronger, one must agree to support the
other.”
NARC, for instance, justified the direct nominations
of those who were instrumental in starting up the party. Said NARC Elections
Board chairman Wanjala Welime: “The party had agreed in advance that certain
leaders be exempted from primaries.” These include Kalonzo Musyoka (Mwingi
North), David Musila (Mwingi South), George Saitoti (Kajiado North), and Raila
Odinga (Langata), among others.
Odinga, a member of the party’s supreme decision
making organ called the NARC Summit, says that the summit agreed to exempt
certain individuals from “unnecessary primaries” since they were busy
co-coordinating nominations from Nairobi and were unable to visit their
constituencies. However, certain candidates who were exempted decided to go and
face the electorate all the same. They included Kamotho and Musyoka, who won in
Mathioya and Mwingi North respectively.
What beats reason, however, is the fact that the NARC
summit conducted nominations even in areas where it had given direct
nominations to certain candidates. This, in turn, resulted in two or more
nomination certificates being issued in one area, a dramatic move that led to
confusion at the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK). But Odinga argues that
the summit did not approve of such nominations and were therefore a sham.
Although mired in controversy, the nominations are
also a clear indication that KANU’s stranglehold on Kenyan politics will soon
be a thing of the past. Only one KANU candidate has gone in unopposed, as
compared 10 MPs in the 1997 elections. KANU’s lucky candidate is Gideon Moi,
President Moi’s youngest son, who is going to inherit his father’s Baringo
Central seat in Rift Valley Province, which the senior Moi has occupied for the
last 47 years.
The ECK gazetted his election early in December,
since those who had stood on other tickets had withdrawn from the race. They
include Thomas Letangule (FORD-People), Isaiah Cherutich (NARC), and Amon
Kandie (SDP).
This year’s election has also attracted the
participation of more political parties, unlike in 1997 when only 18 parties
took part. Out of the 40-odd registered political parties in the country, 38
have fielded candidates for the December 27 election. It is noteworthy that
even the so-called fringe parties have this time around fielded more than 10
candidates each.
KANU leads the pack, having fielded 209 candidates out
of a possible 210, followed by NARC with 206, and FORD-People 186. James
Orengo’s SDP has 96 aspirants, while Safina has 59.
Regrettably, however, women were not given equal
chances with their male counterparts at the nominations. Only 44 of the 1,037
candidates who contested the primaries were women. According to the
International Federation of Women Lawyers-Kenya (FIDA) Executive Director
Martha Koome, the percentage of women candidates fell by half from the 1997
figure. Koome blames the queue voting method used by most parties, which made
men ashamed to queue behind women candidates.
NARC leads with 12 nominated women, FORD-people 7,
FORD-Asili, four, and Safina, three. The governing party KANU cleared only two
women to run for elections. Twenty -three parties participating at the
elections have no women candidates.
ENDS
2. Provincial administration: Opposition’s main
threat
By Zachary Ochieng
Opposition candidates are afraid that the ruling party KANU might use state machinery to rig the elections. Political pundits argue that opposition parties need to move very fast to curtail the heavily politicised role of the provincial administration during electioneering, if the parties are to achieve meaningful results.
The provincial administration – a relic of the
colonial legacy – could still tilt the outcome of the elections in favour of
KANU, given their partisan role. Besides the relentless perception by the
opposition that KANU used the provincial administration to rig presidential
elections in 1992 and 1997, various post-election reports prepared by election
observers and civil society organisations indicate that the provincial
administration facilitated KANU’s victory.
One such report, “Kenya: a flawed election process,”
prepared in 1993 by the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), states
that the actions of the administration – from Provincial Commissioners (PCs) to
District Commissioners (DCs), Divisional Officers (DOs), and chiefs – accounted
for at least 50 percent of KANU’s victory in both of these elections.
This occurred through the orchestrated harassment and
intimidation of opposition candidates and their supporters, the distribution of
food and money on behalf of KANU during electioneering, and the deployment of
police and other security forces to disrupt opposition meetings and keenly
monitor opposition politicians’ movements. The administration is also known to
withhold prospective voters’ identity cards in opposition zones.
That the provincial administration is still at it was
demonstrated on November 30 when National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) presidential
candidate Mwai Kibaki and his entourage were barred from entering a government
facility in Garissa – the headquarters of North Eastern Province – where they
had intended to have breakfast.
The management of the Garissa Government Guest House
hastily closed the facility down when the entourage and supporters drove into
the compound in a convoy of more than 20 vehicles. Management officials later
said that the opposition chiefs did not inform them of their intended visit in
advance.
Said a furious Kibaki: “This is a very flimsy excuse.
We do not need permission to patronise this place. The provincial
administration is trying to frustrate us.” Police also impounded several vehicles
that were to ferry supporters to various campaign venues.
And only one day later, Kibaki and his team were in
for a rude shock when military personnel barred their welcoming party from
accessing North Eastern Province’s Mandera airstrip. The entourage had to walk
for hundreds of metres to reach transport outside the Mandera Kenya Army
compound.
Kibaki’s tribulation mirrors a similar scenario in
1992, when the late doyen of Kenya’s opposition politics Jaramogi Oginga Odinga
was almost involved in a fatal plane crash after the provincial administration
ordered the Mandera airstrip to be barricaded.
The unpalatable behaviour of the provincial
administration has led to attempts to have it abolished, without success. In
March 2002, the opposition sponsored a private members’ motion in Parliament
that sought to have the provincial administration officers elected directly as
a means of clipping their immense power. KANU, owing to its majority strength
in the House, defeated the motion.
While tabling the motion, former Kasarani legislator
Adolf Muchiri (DP), who has since moved to KANU, argued: “The provincial
administration is a colonial relic that does not operate under any specific
law, since the officers are presidential appointees.” But Julius Sunkuli, the
Office of the President minister in charge of the provincial administration
argued: “The provincial administration has served the country so well, and
there is nowhere in the world where civil servants are elected by the public.”
Miriam Kahiga, a programme officer at the Centre for
Governance and Development, doubts whether the provincial administration can
show any impartiality: “The provincial administration officers, being
appointees of the executive, cannot shake off the temptation to be partisan in
a political environment where the appointing authority has vested interests,”
she observes.
Before the Inter-Parties Parliamentary Group (IPPG)
took away from the provincial administration the power to issue campaign
licences, many administrators would deny opposition politicians such licences,
while favouring KANU in the spirit of “serving the government of the day.”
Currently, only the local police have to be notified
before a political rally is held. However, by dispersing rallies convened by
opposition politicians, the police have shown their partiality. In early
December, FORD-People presidential candidate Simeon Nyachae was forced to
cancel a campaign rally in the eastern town of Kangundo after police claimed
that his rally was not licensed, despite an earlier notification to the police
by his agents.
That provincial administration officers are partisan
is clearly seen when they attend KANU official functions dressed in full
uniform, contrary to the civil service code that requires them to be impartial.
This happened as recently as early September in the Rift Valley town of Nakuru,
where President Moi had organised a campaign rally for KANU presidential
candidate Uhuru Kenyatta. The rally, attended by 20 cabinet ministers and 66
Members of Parliament, also saw the attendance of several provincial
administration officers.
The major rot in the provincial administration was,
however, brought to the fore by the Akiwumi report on the tribal clashes of
1992 and 1997. The damning report states that in the advent to multiparty
elections in 1991, the provincial administration – which had been politicised
over the years – were averse to any remarks made against KANU and did not
sympathise with those associated with the opposition.
The report cites the case of two successive DCs in
the Rift Valley District of Kericho – Timothy Sirma (now vying for a
parliamentary seat in Eldama Ravine) and Nicholas Mberia – who evicted Luos
from their land in Kericho, merely because they were FORD-Kenya supporters (See
Africanews’ Kenya Election Watch, November issue).
Kenyans in general seem to be fed up with the
provincial administration, if recommendations in the draft constitution are
anything to go by. The draft document recommends that the provincial
administration be abolished and power instead be to the village, locational,
divisional, district, and provincial governments, with office holders being
elected by the public. NARC has also vowed to disband the outfit should it form
the next government.
In addition to the provincial administration, another
state organ that KANU is abusing is the publicly funded Kenya Broadcasting
Corporation (KBC). Despite a 1997 IPPG agreement that compelled the broadcaster
to give equal coverage to both KANU and opposition activities, the corporation’s
bosses continue to give more coverage to KANU. Warnings from the Electoral
Commission of Kenya, including threats of court action, have gone unheeded.
For instance, in a recent 30-minute TV news bulletin,
the KBC devoted 25 minutes of airtime to Kenyatta’s campaign and only five
minutes to those of opposition presidential candidates. In most cases,
opposition candidates are given a total blackout or muted.
KBC TV aired a live telecast of KANU’s Nakuru rally,
which lasted more than two hours. However, when Kenyatta and Kibaki were
handing in their nomination papers to the Electoral Commission at Nairobi’s
County Hall on November 18, KBC TV, which was initially scheduled to provide
live coverage to both the candidates, only did so for Kenyatta, who was the
first to hand in his papers. When it was Kibaki’s turn to hand in his papers,
the broadcaster switched to regular programming.
Such are the fears that continue to dog the
opposition as the December 27 date approaches.
ENDS
3. KANU bid flops in Western Province
By Eric Maino
Kenya is a beehive of activity as politicians
frantically attempt to convince voters to elect them into Parliament. As the
December 27 election draws near, well-calculated slogans and promises from
politicians vying to outdo each other reverberate across the country.
The ruling party KANU in particular is experiencing
sleepless nights. It seems as if the mega-opposition party NARC is stealing the
limelight as it enjoys increasing admiration from voters.
Of
particular concern to KANU is what appears to be President Daniel arap Moi’s
botched bid to woo Luhya votes from Western Province through the recent
appointment of Transport and Communication Minister Musalia Mudavadi as the
country’s vice president.
The 42-year-old Mudavadi is a former finance minister
and one of KANU’s four vice chairmen. Hailing from the province, analysts
considered his promotion as a way to bring back on board the community’s votes,
which were leaking to the opposition.
But if what is happening politically in the province
continues, then the master plan of Mudavadi being the bait to capture the Luhya
vote is a flop.
Hostilities
and rejection continue to greet Mudavadi on the campaign trail. During his tour
of the province immediately after being appointed vice president, locals
flashed Mudavadi two-fingered salutes (the symbol of NARC) as they chanted
Rainbow slogans. In fact, there was violence everywhere as voters disrupted his
meetings. The vice president was forced to cut short his tour of the province.
Following this experience, the VP has not been able
to campaign outside of his Sabatia constituency for fear of being attacked.
Indeed, even back at home, Mudavadi bears the brunt of his extended family
rivalries: his stepbrother is vigorously campaigning against him.
In the past, KANU had enjoyed tangible support in
Western Province, garnering almost half of the votes in the last general
election. Today, with 1.2 million registered voters, both the opposition and
KANU are eying the province keenly. KANU can no longer be assured of widespread
support.
The leading opposition politician from the province
is Kijana Wamalwa, chairman of Ford Kenya and now a running mate of Mwai
Kibaki, NARC’s presidential candidate. Wamalwa vied for the presidency in 1997
and emerged with 17 Members of Parliament. His political stake in the province
got a major boost when he was declared NARC’s VP designate.
With Kibaki’s promise to be in office for only one
term, the community views it a better chance for one of their own to ascend to
the presidency. Wamalwa commands substantial support in Bungoma, Kakamega, and
some parts of Butere, Mt. Elgon, and now Vihiga district.
Another
leading light in NARC is Moody Awori, a former assistant education minister who
resigned to join NARC. Awori is calling the shots in Busia and Teso districts,
virtually leaving no room for KANU to breathe.
Complicating the matter further is the support that
the party receives from all nomination losers, who cite KANU as a common enemy
to be rid off. The withdrawal of Ford Asili Secretary General Martin Shikuku
from the presidential race to support Kibaki has added weight to the party.
Shikuku is a veteran politician among the country’s original crusaders of
political change in the early 1990s.
Mudavadi is therefore faced with the daunting task of
convincing voters – who badly want change in leadership – to support KANU in
the election. While, previously, the Luhya vote could be purchased with cash
and a packet of salt, this time around, the trick might not work. The slogan is
in the air: “Kula Kwa KANU, Kura Kwa NARC, [eat in KANU and vote NARC].
For the 13 years Mudavadi was in Cabinet, he rarely
toured the province. “He was only confined into his Sabatia constituency and
disregarded other parts,” observes Wamalwa. “These are not qualities of a good
leader, and maybe, he, [Mudavadi] forgot that politics is meeting people and
talking to them, not living in ivory towers.”
Opinion leaders and locals claim that they only know
Mudavadi from the media. Mudavadi’s lack of interest in the province coupled by
a high ego did a great disservice to him, voters and observers say.
“Another absurd mistake the minister made was to
attack Wamalwa – disqualifying the NARC leader in public was itself
misplaced and unfounded,” notes Joash Wafula a voter from Bungoma District.
“While Wamalwa has a political block, has ambitions of being a president, has
actually made attempts, the VP has not. It is therefore wrong and old fashioned
to attack a person (rather) than issues.”
Wafula says that voters lost confidence in Mudavadi
following his decision to withdraw from the presidential race without
consulting the voters. Mudavadi first indicated his interest in running for the
presidency when the Rainbow Coalition was formed as a KANU splinter group.
However, he later pulled out to support Uhuru Kenyatta, President Moi’s choice
of successor, which made many in the province angry.
“It
would therefore require the skill of a seasoned public relation artist to
remedy the damage,” Wafula concludes.
Western Province is one of the poorest regions in the
country today. Poverty levels are high and infrastructure is poor, with most of
the roads being completely impassable. While previously many people from
the province were well educated, few could get employment in the public sector
because of nepotism and tribalism.
While locals relied on maize, sugar, and cotton farming as their sources of income, bad government policies have caused the sectors to collapse. Unchecked, massive importation of sugar threatened to close down the Mumias sugar factory, a major source of income in the province.
This explains why there was a fracas in Kakamega town
when President Moi and Uhuru visited the heart of the province in early
October. Mudavadi was jeered, booed, and heckled in the presence of Kenyatta
and President Moi.
ENDS
1. Glossary of
Terms
All throughout
the chronology and updates are sprinkled acronyms referring to various
committees, commissions, political movements, etc. Here, we spell out these
acronyms and provide some brief background information.
NARC = National Rainbow Coalition, came to
being in October. It brings together NAK, Safina and the Liberal Democratic
Party of Kenya. Its presidential candidate is the boss of the Democratic Party
(DP), Mwai Kibaki, who was also NAK’s torchbearer.
CKRC =
Constitution of Kenya Review Commission. Chaired by Prof. Yash Pal Ghai, the
27-member group collects the views of a wide cross-section of Kenyan groups and
individuals. The commission is supposed to present Kenyans with a new
constitution on October 4.
PSCCR =
Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional Review. Chaired by Raila
Odinga, Minister of Energy, the committee monitors the work of the Constitution
of Kenya Review Commission (CKRC).
KANU =
Kenya African National Union, the party that has ruled Kenya since independence
in1963. Daniel arap Moi is the president of Kenya. Presidential candidate is
Uhuru Kenyatta.
NAK = the National Alliance (Party) of
Kenya. It merged with dissident KANU members grouped under the Liberal
Democratic Party of Kenya in October to form the National Rainbow Coalition
(NARC).
KPC =
Kenya People's Coalition. This is a grouping of FORD-People, the Labour Party
of Kenya, and the National Convention Executive Council (NCEC). Presidential
candidate is Simeon Nyachae, Ford-People leader, a former finance minister.
MPs =
Members of Parliament. Currently, the House contains a total of 224 MPs
(including two ex-officio members)
2. Chronology
November 16 –
Mr Raila Odinga yesterday claimed that President Moi sent him emissaries with
the message that he would be appointed Vice-President if he abandoned NARC. But
in a rejoinder, the president denied the claims, saying that Raila was lying.
The European
union will spend over Ksh 120 million in monitoring Kenya’s forthcoming General
Election. The EU at the same time assured Kenyans that it would not interfere
with the electioneering process.
November 18 –
The battle for Kenya’s presidency officially starts today when NARC’s Mwai
Kibaki and KANU’s Uhuru Kenyatta hand in their nomination papers to the
Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK).
KANU
presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta cut short his speech yesterday as a group
chanting Rainbow slogans threw stones at him. He had stopped at Nairobi’s
Kangemi centre.
November 19 –
Free primary education and the reinstatement of the rule of law will be the
immediate priorities of a NARC government. Mwai Kibaki, the party’s flag
bearer, assured Kenyans that a NARC government would start implementing
programmes to reconstruct the economy in January.
The Kenya
Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) failed to transmit the presentation of
nomination papers by opposition presidential candidate Mwai Kibaki. The public
funded broadcaster only covered KANU’s candidate Uhuru Kenyatta and later
switched back to its normal programmes.
November 20 –
Only five presidential candidates have been cleared to run for the top seat.
They include KANU’s Uhuru kenyatta, NARC’s Mwai Kibaki, Simeon Nyachae of
FORD-People, James Orengo of SDP and Waweru Ngethe of Chama cha Uma.
Top leaders of
NARC face a crucial test in the party’s parliamentary nominations being held
today. Challengers have emerged for at least six of the party’s leading lights
and the outcome could have far reaching effects on the party.
November 21 –
NARC leaders were locked in an emergency meeting yesterday after chaos and
disruptions engulfed the party’s nominations. In Westlands constituency,
supporters of former area MP Fred Gumo stormed polling stations and beat up
voters and election officials.
FORD-people’s
parliamentary and civic nominations kick off today countrywide. The party has
opted to use secret ballot in its primaries, according to Sammy Maina, the
national organizing secretary.
November 22 –
Two cabinet ministers and two assistant ministers were among KANU and
opposition giants knocked out on the first day of party nominations yesterday.
They include water development minister Kipngeno arap Ngeny and Environment
minister Isaac Ruto.
The Electoral
Commission has struck a deal with the police and the Attorney general’s office
to enforce the election code of conduct. The three institutions have formed a
committee to fight electoral violence, said Commission chairman Samuel Kivuitu
yesterday.
November 23 –
Cabinet Minister Mwangi Githiomi and opposition firebrand Oloo Aringo failed to
win their parties’ tickets in the race for parliament yesterday.
The Kenya
Broadcasting Corporation once again came under severe censure from the
Electoral Commission of Kenya and the Kenya Domestic observers Programme
(K-DOP). The corporation has been accused of refusing to honour past demands to
give equal coverage to political parties and their candidates.
November 24 -
Violent protests, confusion and nullification of nomination results
characterized the third day of party primaries. NARC headquarters, Mwenge House
was attacked and its windows shattered by a gang that had gone to demand a
nomination certificate for Kasarani nominee William Omondi. At KANU
headquarters, Jonathan Moi – president Moi’s son – was among the losers who
were petitioning the results.
Reforms in the
police force, education, the judiciary and the civil service are top on the
priority list of the National Rainbow Coalition should it form the next
government, the presidential candidate Mwai Kibaki has said.
November 25 –
Parliamentary and civic candidates will today hand in their nomination papers
to respective returning officers. After the controversy ridden four -day party
nomination exercise, the focus today shifts from fighting their own parties to
the main business of defeating candidates of the rival parties.
The Social
Democratic Party (SDP) has pledged to rebury the remains of Field Marshall
Dedan Kimathi and compensate families of other independence war veterans. The
party’s presidential candidate James Orengo yesterday told supporters that NARC
leaders posed a worse threat to Kenya’s welfare than KANU.
November 26 –
The big guns who failed to get nominations from their parties defected swiftly
yesterday to get nominated on other parties. They included former Assistant
minister Raphael Kitur who defected to FORD-people. Former chairman of Nairobi
Stock Exchange Jimnah Mbaru defected to Safina after his nomination by NARC was
nullified.
Five Mombasa
politicians yesterday moved to court to block the selection by party
headquarters of Najib Balala and Karisa Maitha as parliamentary candidates.
They want NARC to hold nominations in the two constituencies.
November 27 –
The political platform shifts today from the nominations battle to the campaign
trail, with the presidential and parliamentary candidates taking their policies
to the people.
Former cabinet
minister Joseph Kamotho is among four candidates cleared by the Electoral
commission to vie fore the Mathioya parliamentary seat in Muranga district. He
faces Maina Njakwe of KANU and Charles Kihara of FORD-people.
November 28 –
Women candidates in the North Rift and parts of Western province performed
dismally in both civic and parliamentary nominations. While women’s attempt
this year was better than in the 1997 election, only a few managed to go past
the primaries.
Three children
of former minister Stephen Ondiek died in a grisly road accident just hours
after helping their father win nomination for Ugenya for the National Rainbow
Coalition.
November 29 –
In a marked departure from previous elections, presidential candidates will
this time take part in televised public debate. The five contestants for the
top seat will face the audience and answer questions from the floor.
Mombasa’s
Mvita constituency will provide one of the fiercest battles in Coast province
as cabinet minister Sheriff Nassir of KANU fights it out with the former
mombasa mayor Najib Balala of NARC among others.
November 30 –
FORD Kenya has broken an opposition agreement and fielded three parliamentary
candidates for seats being contested by the National Rainbow Coalition.
Tension
gripped Kangundo town yesterday following a newspaper report that cabinet
minister Joseph Ngutu had been dropped as the area KANU parliamentary
candidate. The Electoral Commision official list of parliamentary candidates
confirmed that Ngutu had been replaced by a Nairobi businessman Mike Muya.
December 1 –
German ambassador Jurgen Weerth has dismissed the just concluded parliamentary
and civic nominations as a mockery of democracy. He described as a “fiasco and
political blackmail” polls in which some candidates ended up losing to
unpopular ones.
The political
landscape in Baringo Central constituency, represented by president Moi for the
past 47 years, is rapidly changing in favour of his son Gideon, who is seeking
to succeed him. Those initially opposed to him have suddenly made an about turn
and are now supporting his bid.
December 2 –
Seventy-two former MPs were rejected by their parties in the recently concluded
party nominations. KANU had the highest casualty rates with 41members of the
outgoing parliament being denied tickets.
NARC
presidential candidate Mwai Kibaki yesterday told a public rally in Wajir that
the Somali community in the North Eastern province would benefit should NARC
form the next government. He said NARC would protect Somalis, promising to
reward their loyalty with top positions in the government.
December 3-
The Catholic Church maintained its plea for free and peaceful elections, with
special prayers being held in Nairobi yesterday. The prayers were conducted by
Nairobi Archbishop Ndingi Mwana Nzeki at the Holy Family Basilica.
Thirty-eight
political parties have fielded candidates for the forthcoming elections. Unlike
past elections when only 18 parties took part, this time round even fringe
parties have fielded more than ten candidates each. KANU is leading the pack
with 209 aspirants, followed by NARC with 206, while FORD-People has 186.
December 4 –
NARC presidential candidate Mwai Kibaki was yesterday injured in a multiple car
accident in which two people died. Kibaki, 71, was rushed to hospital after the
crash at the Machakos turn off on the Mombasa highway.
A mechanism
for power transfer must be put in place to ensure a smooth transition after the
general election, a former ambassador said yesterday. Bethwel Kiplagat said
Kenya must avoid a situation where a party that loses refuses to accept defeat.
December 5 –
Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate James Orengo said
universal primary education would be introduced and cost sharing in hospitals
scrapped if his party wins the elections.
President
Moi’s son Gideon will go in unopposed as MP for Baringo central following the
withdrawal of his opponents, the Electoral Commission announced yesterday.
December 6 -
NARC parliamentary candidates in Rift Valley have vowed to turn the region into
an opposition stronghold. The former contestants led by former public works
minister Andrew Kiptoon took issue with president Moi’s remarks to the effect
that those who vote for the opposition will not have their areas developed.
A media
liaison centre has been set up by the government to assist journalists during
the December 27 General Election. The centre, at the Ministry of foreign
affairs public relations department was established yesterday.
December 7 –
The National Rainbow Coalition yesterday held out an olive branch to president
Moi – and offered him a roving role as Africa’s peacemaker if KANU loses the
General election. This was said b yesterday by NARC’s summit member Kalonzo
Musyoka.
KANU’s Uhuru
Kenyatta will not give free education to Kenyans if he is elected president but
would ensure schooling was affordable, he said yesterday. Kenyatta said it was
unrealistic for his rival Kibaki to pledge free education.
December 8 –
The anti-corruption police unit has formed a crack squad to deal exclusively
with electoral corruption in this year’s poll, according to its director
Swalleh slim. The squad will arrest those buying voters’ cards and bribing
voters.
KANU’s
campaign in Nairobi intensified on Thursday afternoon when former First lady
Mama Ngina Kenyatta held a rally for her son in Langata constituency. The low
key rally was held at Joseph Kangethe hall in the backyard of NARC’s Raila
odinga.
December 9
- NARC summit member Wamalwa Kijana was
yesterday undergoing treatment at the Wellington Hospital in London, where the
coalition’s presidential candidate, Mwai Kibaki is already a patient. Wamalwa
was taken ill with kidney problems while in the UK capital on Saturday.
The Catholic
Church will intensify its civic education to ensure that voters make an
informed choice during the elections. The chairman of the Kenya Episcopal
conference Archbishop John Njue said yesterday the church was determined to
ensure unscrupulous politicians did not take advantage of people’s ignorance
during the electioneering period.
December 10 –
Election materials and equipment in transit from Nairobi to Busia were stolen
early on Sunday morning. The materials were being ferried to Busia in readiness
for the December 27 general election.
An opinion
poll conducted by the International Republican Institute (IRI) released
yesterday gave opposition leader Mwai Kibaki a clear lead with 62.8 per cent of
the votes cast. He is followed by KANU’s presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta
with 21.4 per cent.
December 11 –
Free education is provided for in law and the next government should implement
the legislation, NARC said yesterday. NARC summit member George Saitoti asked
KANU presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta to stop misleading the public.
A rift has
emerged in Coast province between police officers and the provincial
administration over the control of political meetings. Yesterday senior police
officers accused the provincial administration of usurping their role in the
control of campaign rallies.
December 12 –
Fears that the general election might be postponed – because all the ballot
papers might not be ready on time – were quickly dispersed yesterday when
election chief Samuel Kivuitu moved swiftly to assure Kenyans that the poll
will take place on time.
President Moi
will today preside over the last Independence Day celebrations as head of
state. The function will be held at Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi and will
include the usual military parades and other entertainment.
December 13 –
President Moi yesterday unveiled his retirement plans and said he wanted to
become Africa’s peacemaker, as head of a newly created Moi Foundation. The
foundation will aim at solving regional conflicts and tackle the plight of
children orphaned by Aids.
The Electoral
Commission is to blame for the delay in printing of ballot papers. Deputy KANU
secretary general Dalmas Otieno said the delay was deliberate because the
Commission had agreed to change candidates for some parties long after the
nomination deadline.
December 14 –
Opposition leaders Raila Odinga and Simeon Nyachae both declared yesterday they
were willing to forgive president Moi for any wrongs he might have committed
during his 24-year presidency.
KANU has
dismissed as a bias an opinion poll carried out last month which, ranked it a
poor second to NARC ahead of the general election. Dr Njoroge Mungai, Moi’s
personal assistant said the survey was unreliable, misleading and an incorrect
representation of the views of most Kenyans.
December 15 – NARC presidential candidate Mwai Kibaki yesterday returned home to a joyous welcome by crowds estimated by police at more than 150,000. Mr Kibaki and his running mate Kijana Wamalwa have been receiving treatment in London.
Raila Odinga,
a member of the NARC summit wants a committee formed to oversee the smooth
handover of power as president Moi retires. He said the committee should
comprise six members – three
from NARC and three
from KANU.