Parties have hard options as parties in CORD have 1 day to go

Parties within the coalition on reforms and democracy and those affiliated to the Jubilee coalitions are expected to conduct the primaries on Thursday in compliance with the parties act. In the lower eastern province Wiper Democratic Movement allied politicians have intensified their own campaigns to woo party members to vote for them in the coming party nomination.

In Machakos Town in Machakos County, the gubernatorial position has attracted 2 major candidates who are former government officials. Former Water Minister, Mutua Katuku will face it off with former government spokesman Dr. Alfred Mutua in the wiper democratic movement.

In the women representative MP, Maendeleo ya wanawake chairlady Mary Mutinga will face it off with a Machakos based medical doctor Dr. Susan Musyoka for the wiper ticket. Dr. Musyoka tried to vie for the Machakos Town constituency seat but came a distance 5^th and now she is set to battle it out with Mary Mutinga for the newly created Women representative MP in the county.

The Machakos senate wiper party nomination has attracted only two bigwigs who are close allies of the vice president Kalonzo Musyoka. PNU’s parliamentary chief whip and Kangundo MP Johnson Muthama will battle it out with a  University of Nairobi law lecturer Boniface Kabaka.

Kabaka tried his luck in the 2007 for the Masinga parliamentary seat which he lost to Hon. Benson Mbae and he may have a hard time in convincing an already decided electorate that places the tycoon in a position to win the senatorial position not only in nominations but also in March 4^th general elections.

The battle for supremacy rests in the neighbouring Makueni County which has attracted political bigwigs within the vice president Kalonzo Musyoka’s political backyard. Makueni County is Lower Eastern’s poorest county and it has among other aspirants the education minister and Mp for Mbooni constituency Mutula Kilonzo battling it out for the wiper ticket with agriculture assistant minister Gideon Ndambuki.

Mutula kilonzo doubles out to be wiper Democratic Party’s secretary general and he is deemed to have played a central role in bringing together Prime Minister Raila Odinga and the vice president Kalonzo Musyoka in forming the coalition on reforms and democracy.

Earlier the vice president had tried to separate the two rivals suggesting that Mutula Kilonzo shifts for Nairobi senate a move that the education rejected saying that Makueni County requires him more than Nairobi does.

In the governors seat the people to watch come Thursday’s nomination process will grant Kibwezi Mp Professor Philip Kaloki a direct nomination to battle it out with other candidates in the same position from other political parties allied to the prime minister led coalition on reforms and democracy. Former president Mwai Kibaki’s advisor on coalition matters professor Kivuutha Kibwana of Muungano party will be a man to watch come the March 4^th elections.

The battle for the governor’s seat seem to have been a 2 horse race between the two professors and coalition allegiance is not a factor to consider as CORD is the only party for lower eastern province.

Women representative Mp seat has a attracted Eunice Munanie, former KANU Nominated MP Mrs. Grace Mwewa whose political debut came in 1998 when she was nominated by KANU to Parliament, Agnes Ndetei who is the former Kibwezi MP was the deputy leader of the Democratic Party when President Kibaki was its chairman Ms Jane Kitundu a 58-year-old nurse who is making her political debut.

Outside the region the battle to control the capital has intensified with all Nairobi parliamentarians allied to coalition on reforms and democracy crisis crossing the entire county to woo voters to vote for them in the nomination scheduled on Thursday the 17^th. Starehe MP Bishop Margaret Wanjiru and former Mumias Sugar CO Evans Kidero poise the major battle fronts in succession of Nairobi’s top administrative job.

In the ODM quarters Regional Development minister and Westlands MP Fred Gumo is forced to battle it out with assistant minister in the metropolitan ministry and Kasarani MP Elizabeth Ongoro in the battle to get a ticket to vie for Nairobi Senatorial seat on the party ticket.

In Busia county Budalangi MP and Minister for sports, Ababu Namwamba will battle it out for the senatorial ODM ticket with former Attorney General Amos Wako.

The intensified gubernatorial race after 200 Amangoro ODM delegates allegedly endorsed a Ford Kenya governor’s seat in the only Teso dominated county hence complicating the political arithmetic as the race to clinch the ODM ticket continues to be marred with political finger pointing fiasco between the Labour assistant Minister Sos-peter Ojaamong and his rival Kizito Wangalwa on the number of polling stations in the newly created constituencies of Teso North and Teso south.

According to reports by a local fm station, west Fm, The labour assistant minister who is a close ally of Prime Minister Raila Odinga a Teso has refuted the claims saying that the polling stations are allocated by the National Elections Boundary which are under the IEBC. Mr. Kizito had claimed, his rival Isolated Teso North residents claiming that Teso South District has 106 polling stations as compared to 46 polling stations of Teso North District.

Despite the endorsement of Philemon Imo of Ford Kenya, the people to watch are the 2 bitter rivals in the ODM race for the gubernatorial seat in the border county of Busia.

Among the issues that came up in the preparation for the bruising battle of nominations, include incidences of political parties fraudulently registering party members into their party.

In other news IEBC has proposed that schools to remain not in session as from Thursday to allow the due process of political parties’ primaries.