NOT TODAY! ODM postpones Nairobi nominations

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has pushed forward it’s Nairobi primaries slated for today, April 25, – this coming even as numerous political parties announce changes in their party nomination schedules.

Citing unavoidable circumstances, the National Elections Board says they will announce the new date later in the day.

Unlike most counties where eyes are fixed on the gubernatorial contest, the focus of Nairobi primaries are the MP and MCA seats as sitting Governor Evans Kidero was amongst the 850 ODM leaders who were given direct nominations on April 3.

The party’s nomination exercise is expected to go on in Garissa, Makueni and Vihiga counties.

Nomination Confusion

Party primaries have been marred by confusion across the country, resulting in postponements, protests and several cases of unrest.

Various parties were forced to cancel and push forward the exercise – this raising concern about whether parties would be able to meet the April 27 deadline.

Lobby group Angaza Empowerment Network, through the law firm Mbugua, Atudo and Macharia advocates, filed a petition to extend the deadline, arguing that according to the constitution, party nominations are to be conducted at least 90 days to the election, putting the date of the deadline at May 7, 2017.

“The reduction of the statutory period granted to political parties to plan and conduct party nominations by a whooping ten days is a violation and limitation of the provision of Article 83 (3) of the Constitution that is neither reasonable nor justifiable,”  said Mr Miringu in an affidavit filed at The High Court in Malindi.

Following this suit, the court extended the party primary deadline to May 1^st 2017.