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Botched Jubilee nominations cost Nyeri aspirants Sh335m


Jubilee Party politicians who participated in the flopped nominations in Nyeri County incurred a loss of more than Sh335 million after the party cancelled the exercise.

Women Representative aspirant Mukami Wachira said she felt frustrated and confused following the annulment by the party Secretary-General Raphael Tuju.

There are 572 polling stations in the county and each aspirant was required to have two agents in each polling centre.

The party had five governor aspirants, four for Senatorial, 30 MPs, four Women Representative and 250 MCAs, amounting to 293 political aspirants with 335,192 agents.

The agents were earning between Sh1,000 and Sh1500, one of the governor aspirants’ agents said in confidence, meaning a minimum of Sh335 million was spent by the aspirants.

Ms Mukami said she incurred a loss of Sh1.14 million to pay the agents. She said the party should consider compensating the aspirants since it was not their fault.

RIGGING

She was contesting for the party ticket alongside the incumbent Priscilla Nyokabi, Rose Waikundi and Elizabeth Wamuyu.

“We feel embarrassed by the party. We had a great trust,” said Ms Wachira while accusing her rivals of attempting to rig the exercise.

She expressed dissatisfaction with repeat of the exercise saying it is likely some politicians will print their own ballot papers and rig the exercise.

“The party must be keen and ensure credibility,” she noted.

In Laikipia County, governor aspirant Nderitu Muriithi welcomed the party’s move to annul the exercise saying it was the right thing to do, given the chaos witnessed in the county.

“The outcome of the exercise did not deserve announcement because it was marred by malpractices. People’s decision and their democratic right must be allowed to take place. I’m supporting the cancellation and I hope the repeat exercise will be more credible,” said Mr Muriithi.

PAYING AGENTS

Kieni MP aspirant Nemesius Warugongo claimed that he had incurred a loss of Sh7 million which he had borrowed from a bank.

Warugongo, who had hired 300 agents, said the money went into paying the agents and in logistics during campaigns.

“You cannot fail to pay the agents because they did their job. Cancellation of the exercise was not in their control. The repeat means aspirants going deep into their pockets for more money,” said Mr Warugongo.

He also complained about voter bribery cases, which he claimed were rife in the constituency, while also accusing the party and police of doing little to stem the malpractices.

Mathira MP aspirant Rigathi Gachagua said he had hired 216 agents to man his votes in the 108 polling stations.

“The exercise was not satisfying. Remember we had paid the nomination fee and bought smart cards which were never used so the party cannot complain that it had no money to run the exercise,” said Mr Gachagua.

He asked the party to use the updated voters’ register during the repeat exercise.

“Youths together with those who had transferred their voting stations were locked out during the exercise,” he said.