Eva Nyambura
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has canceled nominations for Nairobi constituencies; Kamkunji, Embakasi East, and Starehe, opting instead for opinion surveys to select suitable candidates.
The party has also canceled joint nominations in Dagoretti North and Mathare with the Amani National Alliance (ANC), a Kenya Kwanza Alliance associate party.
According to the UDA National Elections Board, the parties have agreed to use opinion polls to identify candidates in the two constituencies (NEB).
“The National Elections Board wishes to notify the public that after consultations between UDA and ANC, there will be no joint nominations for Dagoretti North and Mathare Constituencies. Instead, alternative methods will be used to identify nominees. This, therefore, means that there will be no universal suffrage nominations between the coalition partners as earlier communicated,” said the board’s chairperson Anthony Mwaura.
“The board also clarifies that there will be no nominations for Embakasi East and Kamkunji constituencies under UDA using universal suffrage. Instead, alternative methods as provided by the party constitution will be applied.”
Read: Top UDA Organ Orders Repeat of Primaries in these 4 Constituencies
This implies that on Wednesday, only Roysambu Constituency and 19 wards within the capital will hold nominations.
Both Starehe MP Charles Njagua and his fiercest opponent, East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Simon Mbugua, have agreed to use opinion polls, Mwaura said.
The duo have also signed a commitment to accept the polls’ results, which was witnessed by NEB chairperson and UDA Secretary General Veronica Maina.
Deputy President William Ruto, the UDA party’s leader, will meet both winners and losers in the nominations next week to deliberate on how to keep the party together ahead of the August 9 polls.
“Deputy President has talked to most of those people who lost and next week we are planning to meet all the aspirants who participated in our elections to map out the way forward,” Mwaura.
Read Also: Nominated Senator Isaac Mwaura Concedes After “Shambolic” UDA Primaries Claims
“We have agreed that we clear all the issues of nominations then we have a meeting with all the UDA winners and losers in the primaries,” said UDA Chairman Johnson Muthama.
The party will also hold repeat primaries in Rongai in Nakuru, Moiben (Uasin Gishu), Turkana East and Turkana West (Turkana) and Mt Elgon in Bungoma County.
The wards are Biashara (Nakuru City), all wards in Bumula, Mt Elgon, Malava, Lugari, Turkana East, Turkana Central and Likuyani constituencies on Tuesday.
Others are Mahiga and Endarasha in Nyeri County and several other wards in Meru County.
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