•The parties later complied after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission rejected the list.
•Musau said to comply, the parties looked at areas without candidates or areas that had vacancies and placed women candidates in the regions.
Image: VWGR/TWITTER
Election observers have criticised political parties for issuing direct tickets during the April nominations, saying the move disadvantaged women aspirants.
Election Observation Group national coordinator Mulle Musau said on Tuesday women aspirants have been deemed vulnerable.
“Voter bribery and boardroom negotiations negatively affected women political aspirants in the just concluded party primaries,” he said
“Opinion polls need to be based on the membership of specific political parties. It is also paramount for political parties to be democratic.”
Musau said UDA is the only party that used widespread indirect nominations where aspirants contested against each other.
In its findings, he said there was no voter education before primaries were held and there was 20 per cent violence in all polling stations.
He, however, said Embu was not among the hotspot areas, but it is a county worth watching in the August election.
“There was blatant use of the 2013 IEBC register by UDA, which is wrong. Delayed primaries in some areas, postponement of primaries and disputes were some of the challenges encountered,” Musau said.
He, however, said the party primaries were well-organised compared to the 2017 nominations.
The Elog coordinator spoke in Nairobi when he shared the findings of the primaries conducted between April 1 and 22.
Musau commended ODM and UDA for using technology and good organisation during the primaries.
Despite the violence in some regions, Mulle said security was deployed across the country.
Mulle said 43 parties were not compliant with the gender rule. The parties later complied after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission rejected the list.
Musau said to comply, the parties looked at areas without candidates or areas that had vacancies and placed women candidates in those regions.
Speaking during the same event, Kenya Editors Guild president Churchill Otieno said the 2022 election was unique.
He said journalists were responsible for informing citizens in the right way as they act as watchdogs.
Kenya National Commission on Human Rights assistant director Lucas Kimanthi said integrity is paramount in the August election.
He urged responsible actors to ensure the Elections Act is enforced.
Kimanthi said for things to fall into place, the rule of law has to be adhered to and women's participation in the election process should be followed.
He said there is likely to be a repeat of sexual gender-based violence if clear political structures are not put in place.
Edited by A.N