Jubilee party aspirants welcome a fair consensus formula

Jubilee aspirants in Nakuru have welcomed consensus-building nomination formula, provided it will be free and fair.

Nakuru Town East Parliamentary contender Dr Julius Kariuki expressed optimism that all will be well after President Uhuru Kenyatta made changes in the party by removing some officials whom he said interfered with the outfit’s primaries in 2017.

“We now have the assurance that the process of nomination will be free, fair and transparent and hope all will be well,” he said.

Jubilee is focused on ensuring it will have a majority of MPs, senators, governors and MCAs in the August elections, he added.

Consensus-building involves bringing together aspirants who then identify the strongest candidate among themselves and rally behind him or her.

Dr Kariuki said strong candidates will not be rigged out during open nominations as parties allied to Azimio La Umoja coalition had undertaken to ensure that the exercise will be conducted in a peaceful environment and free and fair manner.

“We shall ensure that be it the party primaries or the forthcoming general election in August, we are going to do very peaceful campaigns,” Dr Kariuki added.

Jubilee is considering various formulas to avert fallouts that are occasioned by party primaries.

They include direct nomination, use of scientific data which will rely on opinion ratings and consensus or negotiated democracy among others.

“Either way, as long as it will be free and fair, we are ready,” Dr Kariuki said.

Dr Kariuki suggested that in areas the party will be using scientific data to search for the most popular aspirants, the candidates should be allowed to also deploy their people on the ground.

This, he said, will ensure the process is done fairly.

“We now have the assurance that the process of nomination will be free, fair and transparent and hope all will be well,” he said.

Other aspirants fighting for Jubilee ticket in Nakuru Town East are County Assembly speaker Joel Kairu  and former Municipality Mayor Benson Wangai Mwangi.

Dr Kariuki said aspirants have pledged to stick together even after nominations provided the process will be free and fair.

Jubilee has been encouraging members to take the initiative to engage among themselves and through consensus come up with popular candidates and back them.

He said the party has been prevailing upon its aspirants to conduct issue-based campaigns devoid of insults and violence.

The Jubilee election board will welcome any process that will reduce fallouts in the party, he noted, adding that the party has over 5,000 aspirants.

“We want those who will lose to support the winners so as to ensure the party wins by reducing defections.”

Dr Kariuki said there is room for all in government, adding that the party will ensure candidates who win in the presidential, gubernatorial, senatorial and parliamentary elections offer those who lose jobs.

The national election board will go out of its way to ensure all aspirants whether they win or lose are satisfied with the process.