A Nyeri parliamentary aspirant has rejected agitations by political parties calling for a six-piece voting pattern during the August 9 election.
Rose Wambui, who is eying the Nyeri Woman Representative seat on a Kazi ni Kazi party ticket says voters should be left to identify candidates based on their individual track record and not on the basis of party’s popularity.
She further claims those calling for a six-piece voting criteria are only doing so for selfish political interests to ensure those voted into elective seats are people they can control at will and not on the basis of service delivery.
“Let’s avoid this six-piece agenda. Those who are preaching this agenda are doing so because they do not want the next parliament to have independent thinkers and independent decision thinkers. They want people whom they can control and those who will be influenced in a certain direction,” she pointed out.
The leading protagonists in the August general election, Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition and the Kenya Kwanza alliance have both been pushing for a six-piece voting pattern to help consolidate their numbers both at the county assemblies and the national assemblies.
The move has been seen as an attempt aimed at locking out independent candidates, majority of who wish to ride on the two major political formations in areas they feel they are not popular.
Wambui has also hailed the naming of former Gichugu legislator Martha Karua as Azimio la Umoja- One Kenya Presidential candidate Raila Odinga’s running mate and termed the decisions as a rebirth of women leadership in Kenya.
The aspirant, who has for many years worked with women empowerment groups in Nyeri, similarly termed Karua’s nomination as a big plus for the women in Mount Kenya region who now feel emboldened to go for top leadership positions in the country in future.
“The nomination of Martha Karua as a running mate, on a major ticket, is a clear indication of where women leadership is heading in Kenya. So, beyond politics, beyond party affiliations we know Karua is a leader and especially a Kikuyu leader and a Kikuyu political leader and a national leader. We all congratulate her and appreciate her regardless of which political side one subscribes to,” she told the media.
The aspirant has also urged the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to reconsider its decision to bar candidates facing court cases arguing that the presumption of innocence until one is proven guilty still stands.
She claims the majority of those facing integrity queries found themselves on the receiving end after falling out with their erstwhile political parties owing to their divergent political views.
Wambui has therefore called for restraint on the part of IEBC in blocking such individuals until they exhaust all the available legal redress mechanisms.
“In this country one is not guilty until proven guilty. So, if these cases have not been concluded it would appear that justice has not been served. But if a case has been concluded and it has been proven that one has squandered public funds then he should not be given a public office,” she has stated.
The electoral body had already raised concern regarding the large number of politicians eyeing leadership positions in the coming elections despite facing corruption and other cases in court.
Among politicians who had thrown their hats into the August contest despite having integrity queries include former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko and his Kiambu counterpart Ferdinand Waititu.
Both were hounded out of office by way of impeachment on allegations of gross misconduct and abuse of office.
While Waititu’s political comeback was put to rest following a poor show during the United Democratic Alliance gubernatorial party primaries in April, Sonko did manage to secure a direct Wiper party ticket to contest for the Mombasa gubernatorial seat.
Unfortunately, Sonko’s dream likewise hit a dead end after a Mombasa High Court barred IEBC from clearing him from running for the seat pending the hearing and determination of an application blocking his candidacy by Haki Yetu, Kituo Cha Sheria and Transparency International.
