United Democratic Alliance (UDA) MPs who contested for constituency chairmanship won the seats, setting the ground for a major battle with governors at the county race.
MPs James Gakuya (Embakasi North), John Kiarie (Dagoretti North) and Johana Ngeno (Emurua Dikirr) won in their respective constituencies, according to UDA National Elections Board (NEB) chairman Anthony Mwaura.
The outcome of the Friday elections has set the tone for the county polls, with some of the sitting MPs now going for county chairperson slots and other highly contested positions declared by the party.
“All elected constituency delegates in phase one of the grassroots elections are notified that the National Elections Board (NEB) will soon issue notice of the date and venue of scheduled County Elections across the respective Counties,” said Mr Mwaura.
“In the meantime, disputes concerning the just concluded constituency elections will be dispensed with by the Electoral and Disputes Resolution Committee,” he said.
MP Gakuya is set to face off with Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja while Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo is preparing to run against Governor Patrick Ntutu for the county chairmanship.
Mr Ng’eno and his Narok East counterpart Ken Aramat have declared interest in becoming the county Secretary-General.
Official results by the UDA NEB shows that Mr Kiarie and Mr Gakuya won chairmanship of Dagoretti South and Embakasi North, respectively.
Others who won the chairmanship are Fredrick Njogu Njoroge (Dagoretti North), Francis Mwai (Embakasi Central), Amutavy Benson (Embakasi East), Peter Dishon (Embakasi South), Diana Katile (Embakasi West), Paul Irungu (Kamukunji) and Antony Mburu Jasho (Kasarani).
John Makare (Kibra), Virginia Waitherero (Langata), Kenneth Macharia (Makadara), Florence Wambui (Mathare), Patrick Ngaruiya (Roysambu), Alice Njoki (Ruaraka) and James Kamau (Westlands) were also elected in their respective constituencies.
Mr Sakaja – who is banking on his political networks across the county has expressed confidence in carrying the day in the county elections. His side on Friday claimed victory in the constituency level election.
In the Friday elections, each of the 17 constituencies elected 20 officials. This means a total of 340 delegates. Mr Sakaja's side had claimed winning a total of 240 delegates out of the 340.
Last Wednesday, when Governor Sakaja held a delegates’ meeting at the Bomas of Kenya, he alleged that his opponent, Mr Gakuya, is a project of a senior party official.
“We shall not be divided by tribal politics, we shall pursue unity for a better Nairobi,” Mr Sakaja said.
But Mr Gakuya accused the governor of using goons to disrupt the peaceful election in Starehe Constituency, which were postponed by the party.
Nairobi South Member of County Assembly Waithera Chege, who is among the agents of Mr Gakuya, maintained that the MP will emerge the winner in the final vote.
“Governor Sakaja must accept that the chairman of Nairobi County is Mr Gakuya because numbers don’t lie,” Ms Chege said. She also alleged that some voters were being allowed to cast their ballots using identification cards that belonged to other people.
While addressing delegates at Bomas of Kenya, Mr Sakaja accused his opponents of advancing politics of ethnicity.
Mr Sakaja claimed that his opponent for the UDA Nairobi branch chairmanship position, Mr Gakuya, is a project.
“Let me tell you this, the one I’m competing with is not a candidate. He is a project,” Governor Sakaja said while addressing hundreds of UDA ward delegates at the Bomas of Kenya on Wednesday
Apart from the chairperson, also elected at the constituency level included Deputy Chairperson, Secretary and Deputy Secretary, Treasurer, Organising Secretary, Representative of Youth, Representative of Women, Representative of PWDs, Representative of MSMEs, Representative of Farmers, Representative of Religious groups, Representative of Professionals and seven members with at least three of the opposite gender.
The 20 officials from each constituency in a county plus Governors, deputy governors, Senators and Woman Reps will form county Congress and elect 20 county officials from amongst themselves.
All county officials (20) and seven officials (7) at the constituency – which include Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, Secretary, and Deputy Secretary.
