Tribunal slams brakes on UDA nomination process in Roysambu

A tribunal has barred the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party from submitting to the electoral commission provisional nomination certificates for the Roysambu MP and four Nairobi ward representative seats.

The order will remain in force pending the determination of a case filed by five aspirants, who had been declared winners in the nominations before the results were cancelled by the party’s National Elections Board.

The nominees want the tribunal to determine the validity of provisional certificates issued to them on April 15 before the party ordered fresh nominations.

The aspirants – James Wanjohi Njoroge, Peter Mwangi, Paul Ndung’u, Cyrus Kanyi and Anthony Karubi – moved to the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal after UDA ordered reruns of the nominations following disputes over the results.

Provisional certificates

They object to fresh nominations, arguing that they had been issued with provisional certificates after garnering a majority of the votes in their respective races.

Mr Njoroge vied for the party’s Roysambu MP ticket and received 1,112 votes in primaries conducted on April 14.

Mr Mwangi was nominated to contest the Nairobi Central ward rep seat after garnering 804 votes, while Mr Ndung’u won in Pumwani with 934.

Mr Kanyi won in Ngara ward with 222 votes, while Mr Kirubi triumphed in Eastleigh with 534.

They told the tribunal that the party ordered fresh nominations when there was no complaint lodged against the aspirants.

“The five complainants are not aware of any complaint having been filed at the Electoral and Nomination Dispute Resolution Committee or any recommendation to the National Elections Board from the committee for repeat elections in Roysambu constituency and wards,” their lawyers say.

They argue that calling for repeat elections amounts to condemning the aspirants unheard.