UDA Naivasha MP Primaries To Be Repeated

Naivasha UDA supporters have applauded the political party’s tribunal’s decision to hold new party nominations in the constituency.

Former Naivasha MP John Kihagi believes the tribunal’s decision to require repeat nominations is timely.

This was after the incumbent Jayne Kihara was handed the nomination certificate over the weekend.

The tribunal has as a result ordered the party to hold repeat primaries.

Read: Susan Kihika, Jane Kihara in Bitter Spat Over Nakuru UDA Primaries

Kihagi controversially won the primaries two weeks earlier, only for the party’s nominating body to overturn the decision due to apparent anomalies.

Instead, Kihara was given the certificate, causing Kihagi to file a complaint with the tribunal, which ordered the party to hold the primaries anew.

Kihagi stated that justice had been served and that the exercise should be repeated. He slammed Kihara for seeking the assistance of Deputy President William Ruto in the controversy that has splintered the party supporters.

“We welcome the decision by the political party tribunal and we are ready for the repeat exercise, as ordered,” he said.

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Kihagi stated that his supporters are completely behind DP Ruto, and that party officials should avoid taking sides in the primaries.

“Some people are already claiming that they have the support of the party. We are calling for fairness in the nomination exercise,” he said.

Wangari Kabera, one of his supporters, expressed her delight after the appeal was heard and the panel ruled in Kihagi’s favor.

“This marks one of the biggest days for us. We are ready for the nominations and we are sure that we shall win,” she said.

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Julius Kibe echoed this sentiment, claiming that justice had been served after the party’s nominating body had unfairly granted the certificate to their opponent.

“Naivasha people should be allowed to make their decisions freely in the coming nominations as ordered by the court,” said Kibe.

The nominations committee on April 18 found that failure to include the results of the Maua Primary School polling station and Milimani Secondary School polling station in the final tally had a significant bearing on the final outcome.

The committee also found that failure to include the results of these polling stations in the final tally denied Mrs Kihara a total of 29 votes.

Read Also: Susan Kihika, Jane Kihara in Bitter Spat Over Nakuru UDA Primaries

It also dismissed the claims from Karanja who had argued that non-inclusion was insignificant and had no bearing on the final result.

“The Committee finds that when the results from the aforementioned polling stations are added to the final tally, which the Committee confirmed to be 9852 votes for the 1st Respondent and 9824 votes for the Applicant, the final result is that the 1st Respondent garnered 9,903 votes to the Applicant’s 9904 votes.”