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ODM Aspirants Seek Court Injunction
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, 30 December 2008 19:10
In Kitutu Chache Constituency, the names of Osoro Kebati, Orina Momanyi and Richard Momoima were missing from the ballot papers which only contained names of former PS James Ongwae and Justus Mochoge. Efforts by the protesting aspirants to seek a court order to stop the nominations were time barred as the exercise started before obtaining the injunction.
The same situation persisted in Nyaribari Chache with the names of Kerosi Ondieki and Nelson Onchiri Nyakundi missing from the papers that contained only those of Chris Bichage and Robert Monda. Efforts by Ondieki and Nyakundi to stop the exercise did not bear fruit by the time the nomination got under way in the afternoon.
Tension was high for hours in some polling centres in. Kitutu Masaba Constituency as aspirants led their supporters in burning ballot papers over the missing names of all the ODM parliamentary contestants. Branch ODM chairman Timothy Bosire was on the receiving end from his rivals Meshack Ong'uti, Nyambega Mose and Bob' Bosire who t accused him of plotting to rig them out.
Similar chaos reigned in Bonchari Constituency where four aspirants, Nyansira Kabesa, Paul Matagara, David Ogega and Jimmy Okongo claimed their names were missing on the ballot papers which had only the name of Charles Onyancha.
In West Mugirango, uncertainty loomed large as some aspirants found their names edited out of the nomination materials. Police had to intervene to avert violence as the aspirants, Steve Mogaka, Mokua Otuto, Charles Rigoro ,Thomas Moturi, led their supporters in holding the ODM presiding officer hostage in a dingy room at Nyabite trading centre.
However, in the same constituency former nominated MP Catherine Nyamato was elected the Narc Kenya candidate unopposed as was Erneo Nyakiba (Kanu), and Joel Ongaro (NDA) and John Nyagararria of (KPP). Kanu cleared former Cabinet minister Prof Sam Ongeri and Wilfred Ombui to carry the party's banner in next month's election in Nyaribari Masaba and North Mugirango constituencies, respectively.
In Nyaribari Masaba, Joel Gesuka of ODM was locked out from participating in the exercise after his name was not included in the ballot papers.
Gesuka told reporters in the constituency that he had paid the mandatory ODM nomination fee but was surprised when the returning officer termed him as a stranger in the exercise. Ford People parliamentary nominations in the constituency started off on a sour note as candidates facing off with immediate former MP Hezron Manduku protested over the use of fake membership cards the ex-legislator had allegedly prepared beforehand.
In neighbouring Bomachoge, immediate former MP and assistant minister Joel Onyancha cried foul saying that he will not recognise the outcome because his opponent was using fake Ford People membership cards. However, it was smooth sailing for two cabinet ministers and two immediate former Members of Parliament (MPs) to the final parliamentary contest without a sweat after their would be opponents pulled out' of the nomination race in Kisii.
Roads minister Simeon Nyachae and his National Planning colleague Henry Obwocha bagged the Nyaribari Chache and West Mugirango Ford People parliamentary tickets easily after other would-be contestants failed to show up for the party nomination. MPs Jimmy Angwenyi (Kitutu Chache) and Stephen Manoti (Bobasi) were also declared the sole Ford People parliamentary candidates in their respective constituencies without a contest.
The fate of the other Gusii Ford People former legislators Godfrey Masanya (North Mugirango), Zebedeo Opore (Bonchari), Hezron Manduku (Nyaribari Masaba), Mwancha Okioma (Kitutu Masaba) and Joel Onyancha (Bomachoge) was still to be determined by party members in the nominations that were under way by yesterday evening.
