Over 80 seeking elective seats belong to more than one party

IEBC Commissioner Roselyne Akombe. She says the agency will reach out to nominees in the coming elections whose names have been submitted by more than one political party to “ascertain the facts”. At least 89 of them, including a sitting MP, have been listed more than once. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Kabuchai MP James Lusweti Mukwe has been listed as a nominee for the same seat by two parties.
  • Some of the 89 cases might be honest mistakes by the political parties.
  • IEBC has said that it will reach out to the affected politicians to “ascertain the facts”.

At least 89 people, including a sitting MP, risk being locked out of the August elections after their names were submitted by more than one political party as nominees.

Kabuchai MP James Lusweti Mukwe has been listed as a nominee for the same seat both on a Ford Kenya ticket and also on the Federal Party of Kenya.

Under the Political Parties Act, it is illegal for anyone to belong to more than one party, at any given time, even worse to want to contest as such.

While some of the 89 cases might be honest mistakes by the political parties, others, however, might as well be cases of politicians trying to be too clever and wanting to hit two birds with one stone.

ASCERTAIN FACTS

Thursday, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) said that while the instant penalty will be to disqualify such aspirants, the agency will reach out to them to “ascertain the facts”.

“We are reaching out to political parties to clarify such cases. By law, no one should belong to more than one political party. However, as the names are uploaded to our system we do not wish to penalise any aspirant until we ascertain the facts,” IEBC Commissioner Roselyne Akombe told the Nation.

ORDER OF NAMES

In some of the cases seen by the Nation, the aspirants have simply changed the order of their names, starting with surname in one party, and alternating it with their first name in the other.

In others, they have simply listed themselves word for word as is in another party.

However, others have put acronyms in place of their full names in one party while spelling out the full data in the other.

Four people out of the 89 were picked out by the IEBC for being named by more than one political party as nominees for different seats.

These are Brian Mutembei, and John Mucheru Njoroge, who were both nominated twice by Narc Kenya.

Mr Richard Minyega Atemba was nominated thrice by the Kenya National Congress, and Reuben Ashiono Munzalo was nominated twice by Kanu.