President Uhuru Kenyatta and NASA presidential flagbearer Raila Odinga face dilemmas in how to handle a flood of independents, most of them products of shambolic elections.
The two leaders are torn between endorsing their parties’ nominees
— and risk triggering voter apathy — or working with independents — and as a result having fewer of their own members in Parliament.
“A total of 4,500 of independent candidates is a bigger number than both Jubilee and NASA combined. We are confident to win with not less than 40 per cent of total seats in Parliament,” former Naivasha MP John Mututho said. He is running as an independent for Nakuru governor.
Uhuru and Raila wants numbers in Parliament to influence the law-making process after the polls.
More numbers in the National Assembly will increase their stake in the political parties’ fund.
They are wary of endorsing candidates in their own parties to avoid a backlash from independents.
There’s also the fear that supporters of rival independent politicians might snub them during the August polls.
The two strongholds, Nyanza and Mount Kenya, were highly affected following the shambolic nominations.
Former Jubilee hopefuls, who lost in the primaries, have blamed DP William Ruto for their loss, while the ODM wing has blamed the election officials for the mess.
Ruto knows that working with independents will weaken JP’s grip in Mount Kenya.
But Ruto insists JP will rely on those who won and those who lost should rally behind the party. He has denied meddling in the nominations.
But National Assembly Majority leader Aden Duale warns the independents from issuing threats. “Don’t give us conditions. We know our candidates,” he said.
