Sharp differences have rocked the four NASA affiliates over joint primaries, threatening crucial opposition unity ahead of primaries next month.
Parties will hold nominations from April 13-26.
Officials of affiliate parties — ODM, ANC, Wiper and Ford Kenya — have clashed over how to approach primaries and nominations. Three parties claim ODM would benefit from the plan to zone the country to avoid nomination squabbles.
ODM has a strong countrywide presence, compared with its three partners and it is backing joint primaries with a single slate of candidates from all parties.
However, Ford Kenya, ANC and Wiper want individual parties to be free to field aspirants, without restriction.
Worst case scenario: This could turn into a free-for-all in which earlier public declamations of unity are cast aside, parties and aspirants go it alone, split the vote and hand victory to Jubilee.
ODM fears it will lose the majority of seats to affiliates after strong ODM candidates decamped to Wiper, Ford Kenya and ANC.
The Orange party wants defectors to face joint nominations, but aspirants say they would be unfairly disadvantaged.They stand a better chance to win as individuals on a different party's slate.
Some Orange party stalwarts and regional kingpins, such as Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and Kakamega's Wycliffe Oparanya, are facing stiff reelection challenges.
Joho will face a Wiper ticket of Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar and Nyali MP Hezron Awiti teamed up against him.
Oparanya will face Ford Kenya's Senator Boni Khalwale.
In the past, ODM primaries have been bungled, chaotic and violent. Some aspirants shun the party because they fear they would be rigged out.
Yesterday Wiper's Kalonzo Musyoka was quoted in the Daily Nation as saying affiliate party members should be allowed to run for any seat they want.
"We want to give everyone a chance to present themselves to the people," Kalonzo said.
The NASA's National Coordinating Committee last week deposited its nomination rules with the Registrar of Political Parties and the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission as required by law.
NCC mapped the country into four broad zones in an elaborate nominations plan meant to eliminate friction and fractures among affiliates and enable the opposition to sweep the majority of seats.
According to the rules, in opposition strongholds where two or more affiliates are popular, those parties will conduct joint primaries. The winner will be the opposition flagbearer.
Despite the apparent earlier accord, ANC has balked. It has disowned nomination rules, calling them illegal and fraudulent as they were not endorsed by the NECs of all affiliates.
ANC secretary general Geoffrey Osotsi said, “We are not aware of such rules for the coalition.”
He said alliance nomination rules were not approved by appropriate councils of partner parties before they were submitted to the IEBC and the Registrar of Political Parties.
“As ANC, we’re agreed to field candidates for all elective positions, except where we have mutual agreement,” he told the Star on the phone yesterday.
“We expected NASA's National Coordinating Committee to bring the nomination rules back to affiliate parties for approval by party national executive committees before presenting them to the registrar — but they never came back," Osotsi said.
He said without the signatures of secretaries general of affiliates, who are authorised signatories for authentication, such documents are invalid.
"The secretary generals of member parties have not been involved, even the coalition agreement signed by the four principals was first approved by respective anchor parties’ NECs," he said.
ODM deputy party leader and Kakamega boss Oparanya said fears that some parties have never had free and fair nominations should not be used to deny the opposition "this good idea" of joint primaries.
"A joint exercise will give the opposition one candidate to face Jubilee, but some partners are reluctant," he said.
"If we have never had proper nominations, why can't we try it this time? Let us try and improve our processes instead of running parallel nominations."
Kakamega ANC Senate hopeful Cleophas Malala faulted criticised the zoning rules, saying it favours ODM.
Malala said classifying Western as an area where ODM, ANC and Ford Kenya will nominate candidates to face off is meant to eclipse ANC, which is dominant.
“They should also open Nyanza for ANC, Ford Kenya and Wiper to field candidates. They are avoiding opening Nyanza because they know the primaries will not be free and fair and candidates will shift to other coalition parties,” he said.
In Mombasa, a perceived ODM stronghold, NASA politicians are divided over joint nominations.
Kisauni MP Rashid Bedzimba on Saturday said Mombasa is ready for joint nominations. This was a day after Senator Omar said they will not sign a pact for joint NASA nomination.
Bedzimba, a major ally of Governor Joho, said joint nominations are the only way to deny Jubilee seats in the region. Otherwise, the vote will be split.
“We don't want a scenario in which we're forced to have several NASA candidates on the ballot and lose to the other side. Those advocating that are driven by selfish interests,” said Bedzimba.
He spoke at Kadongo Grounds in Mshomoroni where he also issued bursary cheques worth Sh36 million to 7,000 students
However, Jomvu MP Badi Twalib, also a strong Joho ally, called for patience.
He said a committee is handling NASA affairs and talk are underway on picking the presidential flagbearer.
“So, it is important we give this committee space to work so we see what they, in unity, will come up with,” Twalib said..
He spoke after issuing 2,700 bursary cheques worth Sh14 million at Kajembe High School.
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