Kisii, Kenya: A Wiper party candidate for the Nyaribari Chache by-election has decamped to Ford People.
Richard Tongi
Richard Tongi, who successfully filed the petition against ODM’s Chris Bichage, was forced to ditch the Wiper party for Ford People to secure the chance of his name being on the ballot paper come December 19 due to what he termed as rows among parties affiliated toCORD.
CORD affiliates ODM and Wiper had initially agreed to field separate candidates for the mini polls but sources reveal former Prime Minister Raila Odinga was uneasy with that arrangement and insisted that Bichage be the sole flag bearer.
Speaking in Kisii, Tongi said he was systematically locked out of CORD, citing a move by a joint National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at Orange House where he was excluded.
Party’s choice
“I drove from Kisii to Nairobi to attend the meeting but on arrival, security guards prevented my entry, saying the candidate for the by-election (Bichage) had already been allowed in. It was all clear they had settled on him so I had to quit before the deadline because that party is being run like a club,” said Tongi.
Ford People welcomed Tongi to their party granting him the ticket, a move that has led to protests among party supporters who accuse its leaders of granting an ‘outsider’ a chance at the expense of loyalists.
At a Ford People NEC meeting, Tongi garnered 14 votes against Kenani’s six. Kenani protested to the party’s patron, former powerful cabinet minister Simeon Nyachae, forcing a repeat vote where Tongi garnered 21 against his three votes.
Peaceful demonstration
At the same time, South Mugirango MP Manson Nyamweya ( ODM) has broken ranks with his party and vowed to throw his weight behind Tong’i in Nyaribari Chache and Engineer Albert Nyaundi of Bomachoge Borabu constituencies.
“Our party constitution only requires that a candidate seeking clearance during nominations has to be a member for 20 days prior to the elections,” added Nyaundi.
While throwing his weight behind the Ford People candidates, Mr Nyamweya said he had been forced to make such a decision after considering the country’s changing political dynamics.
By Kenan Miruka, The Standard
