Candidates’ final hurdle in battle for ballot box

Story by BERNARD NAMUNANE
Publication Date: 11/23/2007

All the presidential and parliamentary candidates are set to clear the final hurdle in the dash to the ballot box, with the presentation of their nomination certificates to the Electoral Commission Friday and Saturday.

Mr. Kalonzo Musyoka. Photo/ FILE

The candidates will hand in their papers, including proof that they can read and write in English and Kiswahili, to the returning officers in their respective constituencies. 

The language test is to ensure that those elected to represent their people in Parliament can follow the proceedings.

ODM presidential candidate Raila Odinga will present his papers at Nyayo Stadium Friday before embarking on a rally in Kibera.

Address rally

President Kibaki, the PNU candidate, will present his in Othaya, Nyeri District, Saturday before addressing a rally in the town.

And the ODM-K presidential candidate, Mr Kalonzo Musyoka will present his papers in Mwingi Town Saturday.

Mr. Raila Odinga. Photo/ FILE

The candidates’ appearance before the returning officers is the final step by the candidates to get their names on the ballot papers for the December 27 General Election.

The commission is then expected to announce the beginning of the official campaign period, which normally takes 21 days.

Others in the presidential race are Pastor Pius Muiru (Kenya People’s Party), Saba Saba Asili’s Kenneth Matiba, Mr David Waweru Ng’ethe, of Chama cha Umma, Ms Nazlin Umar, of the Workers Congress Party, Mr Joseph Ngacha Karani (Kenya Patriotic Trust Party) and Mr Jeremiah Nixon Kukubo (Republican Party of Kenya).

Although the presidential candidates were last week cleared by the ECK to seek the top job in the land,  the law requires that they must also vie for parliamentary seats.

On Thursday, the Head of the Presidential Press Service, Mr Isaiya Kabira, said that President Kibaki would seek the ECK nod to run for the Othaya parliamentary seat Saturday. 

President Mwai Kibaki. Photo/ FILE

Some key PNU leaders from Nairobi and Central provinces will escort their presidential candidate to submit his nomination papers.

The ODM secretariat also confirmed that its candidate, Mr Odinga, would present his papers Saturday. 

Secretariat spokesman Salim Lone said: “He (Mr Odinga) has been out of the country, but he will present his nomination papers on Saturday.”

Mr Musyoka leaves for his Mwingi North constituency Friday, but will hand over his documents to the returning officer Saturday.

He said: “I will present my nomination papers on Saturday in Mwingi Town although I am a registered voter in Tseikuru.”

The formal submission of the certificates, which begins Friday and ends at 4pm Saturday, follows chaotic nominations in which dozens of people were injured as members of the key political parties fought pitched battles, damaging property in demonstrations against the results in some constituencies.

The disputes spilled over to the Electoral Commission, through the presentation by the parties to its Anniversary Towers headquarters of candidates’ lists with various amendments. 

More than 15 candidates sought the intervention of the ECK over the irregularities, but a tribunal set up the commission Thursday dismissed all the appeals sent to it.

To resolve the confusion over lists presented, especially by ODM and PNU, commission chairman Samuel Kivuitu announced that they would serve the candidates on first-come, first-served basis and instructed all returning officers to fax to the ECK the names of those cleared.

Initially, the commission had required the parties to submit lists of their candidates by Monday, but the confusion that marred the nominations forced it to change its plans. It is now feared that supporters of rival candidates who may have nomination certificates from the same party are likely to clash during the presentation of the documents. 

But the Electoral Commission said their officers in the field will be given security to ensure that they conduct their work without fear.

Mr Kivuitu also ruled out an attempt by PNU to block candidates cleared by affiliate parties from contesting. They would be allowed to present their papers, having been cleared by their political parties to run. 

Mr Kivuitu has also warned that ECK will not extend the deadline of receiving nomination certificates from the candidates.

More than 1,400 candidates have been cleared by at least 20 political parties to fight for the 210 seats in Parliament in this year’s elections. 

PNU leads with 210 candidates, followed by ODM  (197), ODM-K (150), Safina (102) Kaddu (98), Kanu (90), Democratic Party (83), Narc (75), Mazingira Party (48), Ford People (41), Ford Kenya (39), National Labour Party (25) and Forum for Republican Party (13).

Other parties whose candidates will be cleared to run for parliamentary seats include Shirikisho Party of Kenya (SPK), The Independent Party (Tip), Agano, Kenya People’s Party (KPP), Kenda, Social Democratic Party (SDP), RAP Kenya and United Democratic Movement (UDM).

Signed by supporters

For the parliamentary candidates to be cleared, they will be required to present the nomination Form 9, signed by a proposer, a seconder and between seven and 18 supporters, all who must be  registered in the constituency.

They must also submit genuine nomination certificates issued by the sponsoring party and signed by authorised officials, a statutory declaration Form 10, to abide by the requirements of the commission, and a certificate of proficiency in English and Kiswahili. 

A candidate must also produce a voter’s card, and either a national identity card or a Kenyan passport, pay a nomination fee of Sh5,000 and sign the Electoral Code of Conduct.

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