Jubilee aspirants in West Pokot County clashed during the elections of party County board officials conducted in Kapenguria. The two factions of aspirants, calling themselves Jubilee A and B, differed on the criteria of elections between leaders on the choice of a representative to the elections board to take part in the party primaries.
After some tussle, the elections were concluded successfully after a full list of nominated candidates was filled.
In a bid to quell the situation, Jubilee Party National Elections Board Chairperson, Mr. Aden Noor Ali who was presiding over the process, directed the parties to submit the names of the two candidates from whom one would be chosen.
The criteria used to pick candidates to the board included merging some of the constituencies and allowing aspirants to nominate the two most preferred people who were later elected based on West Pokot’s four constituencies.
A total of nine committee members were picked after journalists were asked to leave the hall.
Leaders present at elections included Governor Simon Kachapin and his rivals Mr. Geoffrey Libale and Wilson Koringura, Senate aspirant Rev Julius Murgor, MPs David Pkossing (Pokot South) Samuel Moroto (Kapenguria), Mark Lomunokol (Kachaliba) and Phillip Rotino (Sigor).
Representatives were drawn from the four constituencies which include Kapenguria, Sigor, Kacheliba and Pokot South constituencies.
The members elected to the board include Agness Sinen, Charles Temoi, Paul Lopeingine, Dorcas Chekapus, Monicah Kewasatai, Losidi Bithomen and Abraham Ruto.
The other two slots were set aside for the minority and special groups.
Kacheliba member of parliament Mr. Mark Lomunokol said that the exercise route had a hidden agenda of locking out some aspirants, particularly from the office of the governor, who brought nominated MCAs who weren’t eligible to vote .
“They brought people who are not aspirants to add to the numbers,” said Lomunokol, “I want to be candid with my words, I wasn’t happy with the method used. They wanted to conduct the exercise secretly, using their positions to intimidate others,” said Lomunokol.
He urged residents in the County to be careful, citing that Jubilee isn’t united as a party in the County. The Jubilee National Elections Board Chairperson Mr. Aden Noor assured aspirants that nominations will be free and fair since the exercise would be presided over by officials from other regions.
Area leaders led Governor Simon Kachapin downplayed the confusion witnessed, insisting that the elections were conducted smoothly. He exuded confidence that the Jubilee Party will win all the elective positions in the County in the August polls. “Democracy worked and elections were conducted well. We sorted out the problems because we don’t want chaos and we want to have an easy time for the campaigns. We don’t want conflict in the party and that’s why we agreed,” he said.
