Wiper nomination plan splits Kitui governor hopefuls

A leaked plan by Wiper to use a scientific survey to pick its flagbearer for the 2022 Kitui governor contest has not only caused jitters but split among the party aspirants for the seat.

Former Wiper chairman David Musila disclosed plans by the party to use the scientific method to gauge the popularity of the aspirants and pick the best at a meeting in Nairobi on Thursday, only days after he rejoined the party.

His rivals for the Wiper ticket, former Kitui governor Julius Malombe and Kenya high commissioner to Uganda Kiema Kilonzo have expressed misgivings in method of picking the candidate.

Musila revealed the plan while sharing his manifesto and vision with Kitui professionals who work and live in Nairobi.

The former senator whose candidature was endorsed by those present, said he was certain to carry the day as the Wiper flagbearer if the scientific method was employed as he was the most popular among those eyeing the wiper ticket. 

On Sunday, Malombe challenged Musila to elaborate on how his  scientific method of party nomination will work.

He questioned whether Musila’s remarks were representative of the party’s intentions.

“On the contrary, the party leadership has assured us of free, fair, transparent, verifiable, accountable and credible nominations and we trust the necessary measures will be taken to ensure this is realised,” the former governor said in a statement.

Ambassador Kilonzo said the decision on which method to be used by Wiper to nominate its flagbearers, was solely a preserve of the party and should be left to the top organ to decide.

He however added, “But having said that, the best option in my opinion would be the candidates be subjected to a free and fair secret ballot by party members so that each candidate feels the outcome is fair.”

Kilonzo said that way, the losers of the nominations and their supporters would easily rally behind the winner, adding that anything short of that would regrettably result to fallouts.

He cautioned that Wiper should at all cost avoid “boardroom deals.”

On Sunday, a Wiper NEC member and Kitui Central MP Makali Mulu confirmed that the Wiper NEC had decided that the scientific survey method of picking the wiper candidate for Kitui governor was the most ideal and less acrimonious.

Makali added that the method, which was being adopted to avoid bitter fallout as results are contested and also to encourage consensus building among candidates, will not be exclusive to Kitui but will also be applied in choosing Wiper candidates for the Machakos and Mukueni governor contest.

-Edited by SKanyara