NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 13 – Eight million United Democratic Alliance (UDA) registered members are on Thursday set to participate in the party’s nomination exercise that has been dubbed a “mini-election”.
The Party’s National Election Board (NEB) Chairperson Anthony Mwaura on Wednesday disclosed that the exercise will be conducted in 36 counties in 15, 000 polling stations across the country.
“This will be a nominations exercise like no other. It is the first nominations exercise where international observers have shown interest in participating in, it will also be the nominations where a political party has committed to respect the will of the people,” he said.
The voting exercise will begin at 6.00am and conclude at 5.00pm paving way for the vote couting exercise.
Party members will be voting for candidates in 981 electoral seats which are up for grabs.
According to Mwaura, 13 counties will nominate their Governor, while 18 counties will be identifying their Senate candidates.
28 counties will decide on their Woman Representative candidate and 138 constituencies will be going to the polls to decide their Members of Parliament.
834 wards will be deciding their nominees in the County Assemblies election.
“This does not mean we do not have candidates in other areas. The board has been conducting other forms of nominations in identifying our candidates as permitted by the party constitution,” Mwaura said.
The party has since acquired 75,000 transparent ballot boxes complete with 650,000.
“These materials have already been transported to various constituencies across the country,” he said.
47 County Returning Officers, 200 Constituency returning Officers, 21,000 Presiding officers and 52,000 clerks to man the primaries have been employed by the board to oversee the exercise.
On security arrangements, the board “board has sought the assistance of 34,680 police officers to man polling” with a view of ensuring the exercise is conducted smoothly devoid of any chaos.
300 international observers will oversee the party’s nomination exercise.
“We ask party members across the country to turn up in large numbers to participate in this sacred democratic exercise granted by our National constitution. The board assures aspirants and party faithful that no one will one turned away from voting,” Mwaura said.
Nandi Hills, Nakuru West and Nakuru South will hold their nominations on April 19, 2022.
The exercise which will be closely monitired will be a litmus test for the outfit which prides itself on being democractic.
