Mr Lee Kinyanjui celebrates after being declared the winner of the Nakuru governorship Jubilee primaries on April 28, 2017. He defeated Governor Kinuthia Mbugua. PHOTO | FRANCIS MUREITHI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Following the opposition National Super Alliance's announcement on Thursday of its president and vice-president ticket, two of its co-principals - Kalonzo Musyoka and Musalia Mudavadi - are holding press conference this morning.We will also be following the falling out from the Jubilee gubernatorial nomination result in Nakuru where the incumbent governor Kinuthia Mbugua has been beaten - plus all of the rest of the day's political action.MORNING SUMMARY
Live updates on all the day's political action...
Good morning. Welcome to the Daily Nation’s election live blog with up to the minute coverage of the day’s political events. It is a quieter day today after the formal announcement on Thursday by the National Super Alliance of the worst kept secret in Kenyan politics - that Raila Odinga would be the Nasa flag bearer. “I am a first among equals. I will be the Joshua that will take you to Canaan,” Odinga promised a rally of tens of thousands in Nairobi’s Uhuru Park.
• Here’s the inside story on how the Nasa pentagon came up with their power sharing deal. Odinga’s promise to be a one-term president (if they win) was key to breaking the deadlock. You can read a profile of Nasa's flag bearer here. • At 11am, Kalonzo Musyoka, the Wiper leader and Nasa candidate for vice-president will hold a press conference on the opposition alliance’s plans. And at the same time another Nasa co-principal Musalia Mudavadi, the leader of Amani National Congress is also holding a press conference. We’ll see if they are singing from the same hymn sheet.• Also at 11am, Jubilee is holding a press conference about the 93 petitions they have received disputing primary results.• And at the same time, the Catholic Bishops are also holding a press conference.• Mike Sonko has won the Jubilee primary for the Nairobi governor race. Senator Sonko polled 138,185 votes against Peter Kenneth's 62,504. Johnson Sakaja won the senate nomination race, while Rachel Shebesh won the Nairobi Women Representative ticket.- Nakuru governor falls
The curse of the incumbent continues in the Jubilee primaries. In Nakuru, Governor Kinuthia Mbugua this morning lost his nomination fight with Lee Kinyanjui.
Mr Kinyanjui, the former chairman of the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and a former assistant minister in the Mwai Kibaki government, garnered 216,385 votes.
You can read more here.
Mr Mbugua polled 150,137 votes. Former Nacada boss who is also former Naivasha MP, John Mututho, came in third with 30,487 votes. - Sonko says thanks
Mike Sonko, who picked up the Jubilee nomination for Nairobi governor last night, has been thanking his supporters on Twitter. His challenger Peter Kenneth said on Thursday that he planned to dispute the result, although there is no word yet on wether he has issued a formal petition.
- Team Nasa
Raila Odinga's press team have been tweeting out pictures of Thursday's rally.
- Acceptance speech
It is with great honour that I accept Team NASA's nomination as its 2017 Presidential Candidate #MamboYabadilika pic.twitter.com/NYssZ4vlUU
- Mudavadi comment
The Star has published a comment piece by Nasa co-principal Musalia Mudavadi. It is heavily based on the speech he gave to the Uhuru Park rally on Thursday. It is heavy on rhetoric but light on policy, except for a commitment to devolve more power and resources to county governments. Here's a flavour:
We did not form NASA for specific persons to ascend to power. NASA carries the aspirations of Kenyans to live in peace and unity. We intend to build a just and prosperous country. Our vow has been to put Kenya first ahead of our personal, political, party or ethnic interests.
Our motto has been ‘Kenya Kwanza’. We must all give meaning to Kenya Kwanza.
We therefore have sacrificed personal ambitions for the sake of NASA unity and the liberation of this country. - Election violence
The Daily Nation's election analyst Macharia Gaitho has written about some disturbing violent incidents that have accompanied both the Jubilee and ODM primaries. So far there is little evidence of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission taking action to stop the violence. Here's a flavour:
While the [IEBC] body does indeed have the power to take action against election offenders, the tradition has been to do nothing ahead of the polls.
Read the full article here.
This means that candidates engaging in violence, bribery, oathing, intimidation and other offences usually have free rein in the run up to polling day, and will only be taken to task after the polls when the losing opponents file election petitions in the High Court. - No ODM primaries in Mombasa, again!
There is confusion in Mombasa as ODM aspirants protest over the postponement of repeat nominations.
Aspirants for senate and woman rep positions on the Orange party have also complained that their names are missing on the ballot papers.
Only MCA aspirants' ballot papers were brought this morning.
The repeat primaries will now be conducted tomorrow in Changamwe, Kisauni and Jomvu constituencies.
~Mohamed Ahmed
- Message from Mbeki
Former South African President Thabo Mbeki is in Nyeri today to receive an honour from Dedan Kimathi University of Technology and to visit Kimathi's widow. In a speech at the university's graduation ceremony, Mbeki praised the Mau Mau movement as an inspiration for the anti-Apartheid struggle in his own country.
The former president said that Africa's intelligentsia had "an obligation to understand and a solemn responsibility to address" the continent's problems such as education and poverty. He said that educated Africans must play an "active role" in democracy. And in a pointed message ahead of Kenya's election, he added that citizens should "resolve any disputes that might arrive amongst them through peaceful means."
- Incumbent floored in Nakuru
We have an update from Daily Nation Reporter Francis Mureithi in Nakuru where the incumbent Governor Kinuthia Mbugua has been defeated in the race for the Jubilee nomination.
Former National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) Mr Lee Kinyanjui pulled a major surprise when he floored Mr Kinuthia Mbugua to clinch the Jubilee nomination ticket to contest the August 8 elections.
More details to come.
But immediately the final results were announced at the Nakuru ASK Showground tallying centre by the Returning Officer Mr Jepta Rono, Mr Mbugua convened a hurriedly arranged press conference at Vienna Hotel and dismissed the results.
“The process of nomination was not free and fair and I am analyzing the results in each polling station because the number of voters exceeded those in the register - and in the next 48 hours I will announce my next cause of action,” said Mr Mbugua.
Mr Kinyanjui who had an outside chance of beating Mr Mbugua polled 216,385 votes while the incumbent garnered 150,137. Mr John Mututho came a distant third with 30,487 votes.
In his eight-minute acceptance speech Mr Kinyanjui said the elections were credible and reliable.
“Were it not for the watchful members of the public who never blinked an eye and a transparent election board maybe these elections would have been different,” said Mr Kinyanjui.
He said his immediate responsibility is to make sure Jubilee sweep pick up all the seats available in the county including MCA, MP, Senator and governor.
“We will now work as a team to make sure President Uhuru Kenyatta gets a second term of office,” said Mr Kinyanjui. - Jubliee appeals
In a series of tweets on Thursday evening President Uhuru Kenyatta confirmed the party's position on disputed primaries.
- People's choice
This Twitter user is no fan of the incumbent Nakuru governor and happy with the result there.
- Chaotic primaries
The BBC's Dickens Olewe has written an analysis piece on what the chaotic party primaries tell us about the August election. Although more politically-motivated violence is almost inevitable, it seems that the prospects for a repeat of the widespread killings in 2007 is unlikely.
The violence seen in the primaries has rekindled memories of the 2007 post-election violence, which left more than 1,000 people dead and about 600,000 displaced from their homes.
Ken Opalo, from Georgetown University in the US, says that the risk for violence is unlikely to be at the levels 10 years ago:
"I am not too worried about the national elections. The real action will likely be at the county level. There will most certainly be violence. But again, that will be more a reflection of what is at stake, rather than some descent into complete chaos and state failure."
This is a view shared by Nic Cheeseman, professor of Democracy at the UK's University of Birmingham and a columnist with Kenya's Daily Nation newspaper.
He says "disorderly primaries are a reason to be concerned, but that they may not lead to greater conflict come election day".
He notes that the 2013 elections passed relatively peacefully.
Mr Chesseman says that the way to address the cut-throat competition in political parties is to give ownership to party supporters:
"In the longer-term, a key change will be the transition from parties that are funded by their leaders to parties that are funded by their supporters.
"When that starts to happen, the balance of power within parties will start to shift - but that is a long way off," he says. - Wiper cancellation
The Wiper party National Elections Board press conference has been called off as the team is still compiling the final list of winners of the primaries. - Praise for defectors
President Uhuru Kenyatta appears to be encouraging defections to his Jubilee party. He has put out a statement praising four elected governors in opposition stronghold areas who crossed over the his party. Here's part of the statement:
President Uhuru Kenyatta today met and thanked Governors Ken Lusaka, Salim Mvurya, Samuel Kuntai Ole Tunai and Hussein Dado for standing with the Jubilee Party and helping in the quest to deepen democracy in the country.
The President was speaking at a meeting at State House, Nairobi, that was also attended by Deputy President William Ruto. He commended them for their role in creating a conducive environment for free, fair, transparent and credible Jubilee Party primaries in their areas.
The Governors were accompanied by legislators Gideon Mung’aro, Joyce Lay and Dan Mwazo. The three – all former opposition MPs – will contest the August 8 elections on Jubilee tickets.
The President said he appreciated their partnering with the Jubilee Government in its transformative agenda to grow the economy and lift the lives of Kenyans. - Uhuru thanks governors for standing with Jubilee
- Wanjiru update
BISHOP WANJIRU files application seeking a review of court decision to deny her bond and order that her bond terms be effected on May 2. pic.twitter.com/7idMoIvkp4
- ANC statement
ANC NATIONAL Executive Council welcomes Nasa lineup, terms their leader Musalia Mudavadi move to take post of Premier CS as selfless. pic.twitter.com/5rGA1d9trm
- Kamba nation got a raw deal in Nasa MoU – Nyenze
National Assembly Minority Leader Francis Nyenze has expressed dissatisfaction with the Nasa agreement unveiled at Uhuru Park yesterday in which Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka will be Raila Odinga’s running mate in the August elections.
He says the 2013 MoU between Wiper and ODM stated that Kalonzo Musyoka was to be the flag bearer in 2017 but it was trashed.
Therefore, there’s no guarantee that the current MoU will hold since the 2013 one was trashed.
We talk as people’s representatives, we express the opinions of people who elected us. It’s not good to pretend that things are ok. – Francis Nyenze
Nyenze says pp to the last minute during the negotiations leading to the deal, Mr Musyoka was to be the flag bearer.
It’s a tall order to convince our people to vote for someone else and not Kalonzo. Nobody should take Kamba people for a ride.
He says someone should “explain to people why Kalonzo is not the flag bearer.”
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka should explain the Wiper leaders and party members how the deal was reached.
On Musila ditching Wiper after the Kitui governor nominations which he lost to Governor Julius Malombe, Mr Nyenze insists that Musila won the Kitui primaries.
He says Wiper will be weak without Musila.
On his part, Mr Musila says he was not involved in the Nasa negotiations and that most Wiper leaders do not know what the contents of the MoU are.
He also says that his decision to leave wiper is final.
- Crowds gather at Jubilee headquarters
Police have been called in at Jubilee party headquarters in Pangani, Nairobi, after crowds supporting aspirants who lost in the nominations and who are appealing their defeat continue to surge.
The people are carrying placards showing support for their preferred aspirants.
- They've not thrown a single stone
Jubilee Secretary-General Raphael Tuju has appreciated that there are huge crowds outside the party's headquarters in Pangani but says they are orderly.
They have not thrown a single stone. - Tuju
He is speaking at a briefing with journalists.
- Jamleck rejects results, but he won’t appeal
In Murang'a, Kigumo MP Jamleck Kamau who was challenging Governor Mwangi Wa Iria for the Jubilee governorship ticket has rejected nominations results, claiming there was massive rigging.
But he says he will not file an appeal.
He says he is consulting with his supporters on his next course of action.
Mr Kamau insists that his support for President Kenyatta is still intact as he is a founder member of Jubilee.
The Kigumo MP has claimed that ballot papers with his name marked were found strewn in Murang'a.
He has also claimed that some people were allowed to vote more than once.
According to him, votes for senator, governor and woman representative do not tally, owing to what he claimed was multiple voting for the governor's seat.
- No certificates yet for winners
- EVENING SUMMARY
We’re wrapping up the live blog for today. Here’s a summary of the main events:
• Huge crowds of supporters of unsuccessful aspirants have gathered outside Jubilee headquarters in Pangani. Extra police have been called, but the protests have so far been orderly.• On a visit to Nyeri, former South African president Thabo Mbeki has delivered a pointed message ahead of Kenya's election, he said that citizens should "resolve any disputes that might arrive amongst them through peaceful means."
• National Assembly Minority Leader Francis Nyenze has expressed dissatisfaction with the Nasa agreement unveiled at Uhuru Park on Thursday. He says the 2013 Memorandum of Understanding between Wiper and ODM stated that Kalonzo Musyoka was to be the flag bearer in 2017 but it was trashed.
• In Murang'a, Kigumo MP Jamleck Kamau who was challenging Governor Mwangi Wa Iria for the Jubilee governorship ticket has rejected nominations results, claiming there was massive rigging. But he says he will not file an appeal.• In Nakuru, Governor Kinuthia Mbugua this morning lost his nomination fight with Lee Kinyanjui.
• ODM primaries in Mombasa have been postponed again because some names were missing from the ballot papers. They are now scheduled to go ahead on Saturday.
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