Africa-Press – Kenya. A storm has rocked President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance over a controversial formula for picking the party’s nominees to the East African Legislative Assembly.
The crux of the matter is that candidates have been clustered in five different cohorts from which a single nominee will be selected as the party’s preferred candidate for EALA elections.
The Star has established that rebellion is brewing in the ruling party with some regions citing betrayal in the EALA selection process ahead of a meeting with Ruto on Wednesday.
President Ruto is said to have entrusted the responsibility to craft the cohorts to the Parliamentary leadership led by majority leaders Kimani Ichung’wa and Aaron Cheruiyot.
The proposed model is alleged to have been tailored to give candidates from some regions an upper hand in the selection process ahead of voting on Thursday.
Parliament is expected to take a vote to pick nine EALA nominees from a list of 27 nominees that were shortlisted by political parties.
“What is the criteria that was used? Was there balloting? This was a plot to fix some candidates,” lamented a UDA politician aware of the clustering.
Under the formula, Joel Nyambane, Geoffrey Karobia and Fred Muteti have been clustered in one group.
A source aware of the clustering said the second cohort has Anne Too, Lilian Tomitom and ex-Nandi Woman Representative Ziporah Kering.
Yasser Bajaber, former Mombasa senator Hassan Omar and Jonas Kuko are in the third cohort.
Current EALA member Abdikadir Aden, ex-nominated senator Falhadha Iman and ex-Turkana Woman Representative aspirant Rebecca Lowoiya are in the fourth group.
The fifth cohort is said to have former nominated MP David Sankok, ex-Igembe Central MP Kubai Iringo and Salim Busidy .
Ichung’wa denied the reports saying the EALA selections are being managed by Parliament.
“EALA elections are governed by the EALA rules and we have a committee that has been overseeing the process co-chaired by senator Maanzo and Ho. Wanjiku Muhia,” he said in a text message.
The President is on Wednesday set to chair a Kenya Kwanza Parliamentary group meeting at State House to whip the members to support the alliance’s line up for EALA.
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