Sharp divisions as aspirants fail to agree on Juja primaries
Juja politicians are sharply divided over a proposal by area MP George Koimburi to have aspirants agree on “negotiated democracy” during the forthcoming United Democratic Alliance (UDA) nominations to settle on the candidates for respective seats rather than popular vote.
A group of UDA paid-up aspirants led by Koimburi’s main rival for the parliamentary seat Prof Joseph Ng’ang’a termed the move as unfair and against the democratic principles of the party.
The MP had called a meeting of all the aspirants for various seats from the constituency to discuss the way forward regarding the nomination process during which he asked them to agree to back one of them for the respective seats.
In his statement, Koimburi stated that some independent bodies would be contracted to conduct opinion polls to determine the strongest candidate, who would then be given a direct ticket to fly the UDA party’s flag.
“We are asking aspirants to negotiate and support the strongest one among themselves so that our opponents in other parties do not infiltrate the nomination and sponsor a weak candidate for the August 9 elections,” said Koimburi.
But Prof Ng’ang’a who was at the venue but did not attend the meeting told journalists that Koimburi has no authority to conduct UDA meetings in the area insisting that he (Ng’ang’a) was the only bona fide candidate who has met all the party requirements.
Having paid his UDA ticket, Ng’ang’a said he will go it out with any of his rivals at the ballot arguing that denying aspirants opportunity to be voted for or against by party members is illegal and a move meant to infringe on their democratic right.
“The party has assured us that UDA nominations shall be free and fair. Any other sideshows cannot be valid unless someone produces a valid memo from the party headquarters. I will not engage in negotiated democracy unless my opponents give the position to me,” said Ng’ang’a. The heightened politicking for the UDA ticket is happening only a few weeks to the party primaries scheduled for next month.
