Parties begin to submit membership lists to IEBC.

Political parties begin to submit their membership lists today to the election agency, a process that will end on March 19. According to the revised the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) timelines, political parties will have to submit the names of candidates for party primaries to the commission from March 26 to April 5. The commission will gazette the names of the candidates and the dates of the party primaries between March 30 and April 12.

Political parties have between April 13 and 26 to conduct their nominations and should there be any disputes arising from the nominations, parties will have a 30-day window to solve them. It has also emerged that at least 70 political parties and Opposition’s National Super Alliance (NASA) submitted their nomination rules to IEBC at the close of the deadline last week. IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati said the commission was in the process of reviewing the nomination rules submitted by 69 political parties to ensure compliance with the prescribed guidelines. “The Commission published a notice requiring political parties to

submit nomination rules by March 2, 2017. Political parties are further reminded to submit their membership lists on or before March 19,” said Mr. Chebukati.
Africanews

AEP

Get the latest news and updates on elections in Africa by Following us on twitter  @africanelection and like our  facebook page

Will NASA leaders succeed in eating into Jubilee strongholds?

The National Super Alliance (NASA) is crossing its fingers that its forays into disgruntled perceived Jubilee strongholds will pay dividends. Having failed to make an impression in previous elections, the NASA outfit will be counting on unfulfilled promises by the Jubilee government to the Meru people to storm into the heart of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s backyard. The new Opposition alliance has not hidden its desire to endear itself to residents of Mt Kenya East (Meru, Tharaka Nithi and Embu), who have recently displayed open defiance towards the Jubilee government. Since the turn of the year, the NASA brigade led by ODM leader Raila Odinga has been in the region three times and been buoyed by large turnouts.

Indeed, NASA’s forays into a region that voted overwhelmingly for the ruling Jubilee coalition in 2013 is causing concern, especially the effort to worm their way into the hearts of disenfranchised miraa farmers affected by a sale ban in key markets of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
Africanews

AEP

Get the latest news and updates on elections in Africa by Following us on twitter  @africanelection and like our  facebook page

WHAT Peter Kenneth MUST do to Win Nairobi Governor Race, A Youthful Luyhia Running Mate like Hon Fwamba Will be A Game Changer!

For Peter Kenneth to clinch the Nairobi Governor seat on Jubilee ticket, he has to balance tribal interests in the city and party interests in Jubilee. First, while in terms of tribal arithmetic, the Nairobi Governor in 2017 is again a contest between the Luos and Kikuyus, it shall be decided by the small tribes in the city. Peter Kenneth and Nairobi Jubilee has to ensure that they lock in the interests of the Kambas, Kisiis and Luhyias in the city to outsmart Kidero.

So far, Team Peter Kenneth has ensured that the tribal interests of Kamba and Kisii minority in Jubilee is well-taken care of by embracing Mutinda Kavemba (Kamba) and Millie Omanga (Kisii) as the preferred Senator and Women Rep. candidates for the team. As it is, Peter Kenneth is remaining with only one card, Deputy Governor to entrench or isolate the interests of the Luhyias from his bandwagon.

Therefore, the question is not whether or not Peter Kenneth should nominate a Luhyia Running Mate, it is a question of who and when! In fact, as to the matter of time, the stock answer is the sooner the better. The vexing question is who, and we dare assert that Peter Kenneth needs to be keen to employ the Deputy Governor position not only to balance the tribal equation but also to balance party affiliations.

There are four Jubilee party persuasions that bear on Jubilee politics in Nairobi, namely former TNA followers, former URP adherents, former New Ford Kenya (NFK) members and Kamba defectors. Already, TNA followers are well-represented in Peter Kenneth camp by Jubilee incumbent Nairobi MPs and MCAs led by Nairobi Jubilee PG Chairman Maina Kamanda. URP is well represented by Hon Millie Omanga (Women Rep) and Hon Mutinda Kavemba represents Kamba defectors in Jubilee.

Traditionally, Luhyias in Nairobi divide their support between ODM and Luhyia affiliate parties namely, ANC, Ford Kenya and New Ford Kenya (NFK). It is why Jubilee poached NFK to win over a chunck of Luhyias in the city to Jubilee. It is after CS Eugene Wamalwa’s party NFK dissolved to support Jubilee, that the party now boasts conditional support of majority of Luhyias in Nairobi.

I say the Jubilee support of Luhyias in Nairobi, majority of whom are erstwhile NFK members, is conditional because it is pegged on the community’s interests in the city being take care of to their satisfaction. Nairobi Luhyias in Jubilee have been unequivocal that their preferred Nairobi Governor candidate is their former Party (NFK) leader Eugene Wamalwa. In the event that Eugene Wamalwa is not Jubilee Candidate as it seems likely, it would be foolhardy to think he still does not have influence.

As we noted above, all the other tribal interests have been taken care of by Team Peter Kenneth except the Luhyia interests. Additionally, all the party interests have been taken care of except the New Ford Kenya’s interests in Nairobi Jubilee. This can only mean one thing: in choosing his running mate, Peter Kenneth must appreciate that not all Luhyias are made equal.

Only a Luhyia who is affiliated to New Ford Kenya will fit the bill. In fact, it will help if the said Luhyia enjoys the patronage of Eugene Wamalwa and the support of the restless youthful Luhyia opinion leaders in Nairobi who have been the force behind drive for Luhyia votes to count in Nairobi. If Peter Kenneth bucks wisdom and thinks any Luhyia will fit the bill, he and Jubilee Party will pay dearly at the ballot.

So, which New Ford Kenya Politician in Nairobi would deliver for Peter Kenneth as Deputy Governor? Given his choice for Senator in Mutinda Kavemba and Women Rep in Millie Omanga, it is only fitting that Peter Kenneth picks a youthful Luhyia politician to match these three and give the community hope that while this time it is not possible to have their own Governor for Nairobi, it may be possible soon.

The right and firebrand politician for the job is none other than Hon Fwamba Nc Fwamba. He is an increasingly important voice in Nairobi politics and one of the important forces behind the merger of NFK into Jubilee. Since Peter Kenneth is looking to win Luhyias in Nairobi, especially former NFK members to his side, Fwamba will sure deliver that as he will also avail the support of the now important Luhyia young professionals registered to vote in the city.

And Fwamba is seasoned hands in Nairobi politics. He was a Deputy Governor candidate in 2013 and thereafter unsuccessfully vied as Mathare MP. Fwamba is also a seasoned political organizer since his student days at University of Nairobi where he was a SONU Vice Chairman. Therefore, his activist streak and ability to rally the masses will compensate for Peter Kenneth’s simplicity and focus on details. There is no gainsaying that Team Kenneth and Fwamba can and will take Nairobi by storm.

Africanews

AEP

Get the latest news and updates on elections in Africa by Following us on twitter  @africanelection and like our  facebook page

Over 1 Million Liberians Registered To Vote Thus Far – EC Chair

The National Elections Commission (NEC) has disclosed that 1,046,888 eligible Liberians have registered since the launch of the 2017 voter registration exercise on February 1.

NEC Chairman, Jerome Korkoya

This figure is part of a total of 2,552,000 forms deployed at the 19 magisterial offices across the country.

This, according to NEC Chairman Jerome Korkoya, means that 1,505,112 forms are still being processed in the field.

“We currently have a buffer of 1,300,000 forms packed to be deployed if and when the demand arises,” he said.

He told a news conference at the commission’s headquarters in the Monrovia suburb of Sinkor Monday that the forms returned to headquarters are being scanned to be placed in the Commission’s database.

Korkoya has, however, noted that given the number of registrants reported since the registration process started nearly four weeks ago, citizens’ turnout at registration centers “is not very encouraging.”

“We encourage every eligible Liberian to take advantage of the remaining days for the voter registration exercise to register,” he pointed out.

The NEC Chairman warned that citizens should not sit at home expecting that the time will be extended when the official time is being utilized, adding that “extension of time will be contingent on the availability of funding and demand.”

In a related development, the National Elections Commission (NEC) offices in Bong County have reported that 166,818 citizens have so far registered in the ongoing voter registration process in the county.

NEC lower Bong County office in Totota reported 61,669 registrants, while the upper Bong office in Gbarnga recorded 75,149 registrants.

The NEC lower Bong County office in Totota covers Suakoko, Yellequelleh, Salala, Sanoyea and Fuamah Districts, while the upper office in Gbarnga covers Jorquelleh 1&2, Kpaii, Kokoyah, Boisen, Togbalee, Panta and Zota Districts as well as Menquelleh Clan.

Speaking to the Liberia News Agency, lower Bong County Senior Elections Magistrate Barsee Kpaingbai said all of the ninety-five centers in the five districts remain open, even though some are nearing the benchmark of 3,000 registrants.

Kpaingbai told LINA that Electoral Districts 5 and 7 are currently reporting the highest number of registrants in lower Bong County, adding that there are massive turnouts at centers around the St. Paul River in Fuamah District.

At the same time, the NEC senior magistrate in Gbarnga, Daniel Newland, has told the Liberia News Agency that five centers in Electoral District Three in the Gbarnga area have been closed after each of them met the benchmark of registering 3,000 eligible voters.

Newland named the centers as the David Kuyoun Sports Stadium, Gboveh High School, William V.S. Tubman Grey United Methodist School, Wohn-A-Nehn and the Sunday Market in Gbarnga.

He said centers at John F. Bakalu, Melekie, Gbaota, Winsue and Gbelekpalai, among others, remain open in electoral District Three.

Meanwhile, the two NEC magistrates have encouraged residents and citizens of the county who have not registered to turnout for the process to ensure their participation in the October 2017 elections.

The Liberia Institute for Geo-Information Services 2008 Population Census indicates that Bong County is the third most populated county in Liberia with a population of over 350,000 residents.

In line with the LIGIS 2008 report, the National Elections Commission has set a target to register 210,000 eligible voters in Bong County.

Of that number, the NEC office in Totota is to register 100,000, while the office in Gbarnga has 110,000 eligible voters to register.

The NEC added 26 new voter registration centers to the existing 155 centers in the county before the start of the voter registration exercise, increasing the number to 181 centers in Bong County.

In 2011, the Commission registered more than 150,000 eligible voters in Bong County.

Jubilee officials ousted over bribery allegations

Interim Jubilee chairman Simon Kamau Gikuru and secretary general Samuel Macharia have been kicked out of office after claims they solicited for bribes from aspirants to accord them special favours during nominations. Nine members ratified the sacking of the two and immediately picked Ms. Jane Wanjiru Muiga as the new branch chairman while Mr. Joel Irungu has replaced Macharia. Yesterday's meeting followed a vote of no confidence the officials passed against Gikuru and Macharia a week ago. 
 "We are committed to ensure free, fair and transparent nominations," Irungu said. However, Macharia insisted he is still the chairman noting the process to remove him had failed.
Africanews

AEP

Get the latest news and updates on elections in Africa by Following us on twitter  @africanelection and like our  facebook page