Wiper to field candidates against ODM for all Coast seats, says Senator Omar

Wiper national Secretary General Hassan Omar, flanked by the party officials addressing the media at his Reconnaissance Offices in Mombasa County on Monday,017th April,2017. This was about the Party nominations expected from Tuesday,018th April,2017.[Maarufu Mohamed,Standard]

Wiper party raised the stakes in the battle for Coast votes by unveiling aspirants in all the elective seats to face ODM and Jubilee.

Those who will carry the party's flag for the Nyali and Changamwe parliamentary seats will be selected during today's primaries.

CABINET MINISTER

Dozens of aspirants in Kwale were given direct party tickets.

The party's Secretary-General, Hassan Omar who has also been given a direct ticket, issued a stern warning to aspirants out to cause chaos during the primaries, saying they would be disqualified.

Mr Omar said the party would also institute a mechanism to make sure that those barred from contesting in Wiper for creating chaos do not get any other party ticket.

"Anyone who will try to disrupt or cause chaos will be disqualified. We have agreed that we will not slap fines on candidates who will cause chaos," said Omar.

He said the party had already mapped the regions where there is increased tension and that the police have been informed to beef up security in those areas.

Omar warned that outside forces planning to disrupt the Wiper primaries would be met with 'merciless force'.

He said 22 aspirants for the MCA seats across the 30 wards will be picked in a transparent, free, and fair exercise.

Wiper and its coalition rival, Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), will hold their primaries in three counties.

In Mombasa, Wiper has issued a ticket to Omar to face off with the incumbent, Hassan Joho, for the governor seat. Joho has also been given direct nomination by his party, ODM. Jubilee's Suleiman Shahbal has also secured a nomination.

Omar dismissed Shahbal's assertion that he lacks experience, saying he (Omar) was the vice-chairman of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.

"During my time at KNCHR there was not a single audit query," he said.

Wiper will hold nominations in Kilifi, Mombasa and Taita Taveta while in Tana River, Lamu and Kwale, the candidates were nominated through census.

ODM will hold its exercise where Governor John Mruttu will face off with Wundanyi MP Thomas Mwadeghu.

ODM will hold its primaries in Kwale, Kilifi, and Mombasa.

In Kwale, Wiper has issued a direct nomination to former minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere. In Kilifi, Governor Amason Kingi was given a direct ODM ticket. So was Gideon Mung'aro of Jubilee and Prof Gabriel Katana of Wiper.