Record 7,200 to run as independent candidates
A record 7,200 independent candidates, among them 46 presidential candidates had by last evening been cleared to vie in the August 9 General Election.
It was a beehive of activities at the Registrar of Political Parties’ temporary base at Westlands Primary School grounds yesterday as more candidates rushed to beat the deadline.
Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu told People Daily that she expected more candidates to apply for the ticket ahead of yesterday’s midnight deadline.
Nderitu also confirmed that by last evening, 46 presidential candidates had been cleared to run as independents, making it the highest number to ever apply for the top seat.
The presidential candidates cleared include perennial contestant Nazlin Omar. Others are Nixon Kukubo, Muthiora Kariara who vied in 2017 as a running-mate, gospel artiste Reuben Kigame and former Presbyterian Church of East Africa Moderator David Githii.
“At least 7,300 had been cleared by Sunday evening, I expect the number to go up as more seek to beat the deadline,” Nderitu said.
In the last General Election, 14 independent candidates won parliamentary seats, while two won gubernatorial seats namely former Senator Mohamed Kuti (Isiolo) and former MP Ndiritu Muriithi (Laikipia).
Meru Woman Rep Kawira Mwangaza also won her seat on an independent ticket.
Yesterday, Nderitu said her office had cleared candidates to run for all the six elective positions effectively making their candidature the single largest than any other party in the 2022 General Election.
The independent aspirants include 46 presidential, 106 governors, 147 senators, 110 Women Reps, 958 members of the National Assembly and 5,845 Members of the County Assembly.
The number has beaten the 2017 figure of 4,000 independent candidates.
A majority of the candidates were drawn from the leading parties of United Democratic Alliance (UDA), ODM, and Jubilee, which they blamed for irregularities and skewed nominations prompting them to opt-out. Nderitu said that the registration of the independent candidates will continue until midnight and that no one will be locked out if he or she complies with the legal requirements.
Completes registration
She said her office has its own systems where the independent candidates are supposed to follow the procedures therein and make sure that the process is professional, fair and legitimate.
“Once they complete the registration in the portal, the system verifies and generates a certificate which we sign and give them,” she explained.
The figures indicated that there were about 5,000 Member of County Assembly candidates, more than 1,000 parliamentary aspirants including 200 Woman Representatives, 100 Senate candidates, 70 governors, and 10 presidential candidates.
Nderitu said there will be no extension after yesterday’s deadline to register independent candidates.
“We do not intend to extend the deadline unless the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission decides to give those interested more time,” said Nderitu.
Nderitu credited the increase in the numbers compared to those of 2017 to the efficiency and ease of registration and reduced paperwork required.
Direct tickets
Parties, especially ODM, had issues with the issuance of direct tickets that pushed out hundreds of aspirants.
The matter was rampant in Nyanza region where a majority of sitting MPs were issued tickets directly. In Homa Bay, for instance, former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero jumped ship to vie as an independent after Woman Rep Gladys Wanga was issued with the ticket.
Sitting governors, who will be vying as independents, include Baringo’s Stanley Kiptis and Wajir’s Mohamed Abdi.
Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter, who was hounded out of UDA by the Electoral and Nomination Dispute Resolution Committee after chaotic nominations is also running as an independent.
Starehe MP Jaguar Kanyi has also been cleared as an independent candidate after he lost the UDA ticket to former Kamukunji MP Simon Mbugua.
Also in Nandi, UDA nominations losers, Aldai MP Cornelly Serem and Wilson Kogo (Chesumei) have declared that they will defend their seats on an independent ticket.
In Uasin Gishu, Robert Kemei and lawyer Kipchumba Karori are among UDA primaries losers who will contest for Senate as independent candidates.
They will face off with Governor Jackson Mandago, who won the UDA ticket while former Kapsaret/Simat MCA Pauline Tuwei will be challenging Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi on an independent ticket.
Others expected to run as independent candidates include Kesses MP Swarup Mishra, his Ainabkoi counterpart William Chepkut, Kibwezi West MP Patrick Musimba and Thika Town MP Patrick Wainaina (Jungle) among others.
The candidates are expected to come up with their own symbols that will be registered with IEBC.
