Ab-Titchaz
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- Jan 30, 2008
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Thursday, January 29, 2015 - 06:00 -- BY FELIX OLICK AND JAMES MBAKA
JUBILEE Alliance Party Kajiado Central by-election candidate Patrick Tutui risks being locked out of the parliamentary contest.
Tuitui may be barred from participating in the mini-poll over legal technicalities, giving the ruling alliance's ODM rivals a free hand in the race to succeed Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery.
At the weekend, President Uhuru Kenyatta told Jubilee MPs that a JAP win in Kajiado would be a clear and good indicator of how the party will perform in the future.
But stringent legal requirements and strict timeliness in the Political Parties' Act make it impossible for the Kajiado candidate to run on a JAP ticket.
"Our plea is to let Tuitui run on TNA," a top TNA official who asked not to be named told the Star yesterday.
"We are walking a dangerous path and we risk being barred."
The TNA-URP leaders – Uhuru and Deputy President William Ruto – want to transform the Conservative Party, a fully registered political outfit, into JAP.
Uhuru and Ruto have endorsed the new outfit as their 2017 presidential polls vehicle.
However, the Political Parties' Act sets out an elaborate procedure, requiring at least 44 days before the Conservative Party can officially change its name.
The Kajiado Central by-election is scheduled for March 16 and there are fears that the JAP candidate will be time-barred.
"Upon expiry of thirty days from the date of publication of the notice in subsection (1), the political party may, after taking into account any representations received from the public under subsection (1) and (2), effect the change or alteration in accordance with its constitution and rules," Section 20 (3) states.
Yesterday, the Conservative Party announced its intention to change its name through a notice in the Standard newspaper.
"We wish to notify our members and the public at large that our party name has changed from Conservative Party to Jubilee Alliance," read the notice by secretary general Veronica Maina.
This means that the earliest the changes can be effected and JAP is recognised as a political party is February 28.
The IEBC yesterday confirmed that all political parties must return their nomination papers on February 16 and 17. However, JAP vice-chair David Murathe maintained the Conservative Party has followed due process and has cleared Tuitui to fly its flag in the Kajiado Central by-election. He said the party has been consulting the IEBC and the Registrar of political parties "on every step we have walked".
"There is really no issue about our re-branding. What you are hearing is mere propaganda by people who fear the entry of JAP. They are just vultures scavenging for leftovers," he stated.
He urged the critics of the new party to concentrate on strengthening their own political parties."JAP is just a member of the Jubilee Coalition, as are TNA and URP. We have agreed to walk together. Nobody is asking the other to fold up."
Murathe concluded: "If we had issues and knew that there was something wrong, our candidate would have also stood on TNA or URP. Because there was nothing, he will contest on a JAP ticket".
Kajiado South MP Moses ole Sakuda said the ruling coalition consulted widely with the IEBC and the Registrar of political parties "who gave us the go-ahead and clearance to field a candidate".
JUBILEE MAY MISS OUT ON KAJIADO BY-ELECTION | The Star
JUBILEE Alliance Party Kajiado Central by-election candidate Patrick Tutui risks being locked out of the parliamentary contest.
Tuitui may be barred from participating in the mini-poll over legal technicalities, giving the ruling alliance's ODM rivals a free hand in the race to succeed Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery.
At the weekend, President Uhuru Kenyatta told Jubilee MPs that a JAP win in Kajiado would be a clear and good indicator of how the party will perform in the future.
But stringent legal requirements and strict timeliness in the Political Parties' Act make it impossible for the Kajiado candidate to run on a JAP ticket.
"Our plea is to let Tuitui run on TNA," a top TNA official who asked not to be named told the Star yesterday.
"We are walking a dangerous path and we risk being barred."
The TNA-URP leaders – Uhuru and Deputy President William Ruto – want to transform the Conservative Party, a fully registered political outfit, into JAP.
Uhuru and Ruto have endorsed the new outfit as their 2017 presidential polls vehicle.
However, the Political Parties' Act sets out an elaborate procedure, requiring at least 44 days before the Conservative Party can officially change its name.
The Kajiado Central by-election is scheduled for March 16 and there are fears that the JAP candidate will be time-barred.
"Upon expiry of thirty days from the date of publication of the notice in subsection (1), the political party may, after taking into account any representations received from the public under subsection (1) and (2), effect the change or alteration in accordance with its constitution and rules," Section 20 (3) states.
Yesterday, the Conservative Party announced its intention to change its name through a notice in the Standard newspaper.
"We wish to notify our members and the public at large that our party name has changed from Conservative Party to Jubilee Alliance," read the notice by secretary general Veronica Maina.
This means that the earliest the changes can be effected and JAP is recognised as a political party is February 28.
The IEBC yesterday confirmed that all political parties must return their nomination papers on February 16 and 17. However, JAP vice-chair David Murathe maintained the Conservative Party has followed due process and has cleared Tuitui to fly its flag in the Kajiado Central by-election. He said the party has been consulting the IEBC and the Registrar of political parties "on every step we have walked".
"There is really no issue about our re-branding. What you are hearing is mere propaganda by people who fear the entry of JAP. They are just vultures scavenging for leftovers," he stated.
He urged the critics of the new party to concentrate on strengthening their own political parties."JAP is just a member of the Jubilee Coalition, as are TNA and URP. We have agreed to walk together. Nobody is asking the other to fold up."
Murathe concluded: "If we had issues and knew that there was something wrong, our candidate would have also stood on TNA or URP. Because there was nothing, he will contest on a JAP ticket".
Kajiado South MP Moses ole Sakuda said the ruling coalition consulted widely with the IEBC and the Registrar of political parties "who gave us the go-ahead and clearance to field a candidate".
JUBILEE MAY MISS OUT ON KAJIADO BY-ELECTION | The Star