President William Ruto has entrusted his Deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, with the responsibility of spearheading political negotiations aimed at resolving the UDA county elections impasse in Nairobi.
The fiercely contested Nairobi County elections highlight the deep-seated divide between factions supporting Governor Johnson Sakaja and Embakasi North MP James Gakuya.
In a decisive move, the UDA National Elections Board nullified the scheduled Nairobi County elections set for Monday, citing unresolved disputes.
Following a complaint lodged by one of the factions, the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal suspended the elections on June 6 until the case is resolved, putting a halt to the electoral process.
In a bid to foster reconciliation, Ruto has entrusted his deputy with spearheading discussions between the opposing factions to chart a path forward and resolve the deadlock.
According to a statement by the UDA party, Ruto instructed the Deputy President to take charge of negotiations aimed at reaching a political settlement in Nairobi, where two factions are in conflict over the election process.
Following days of deliberations and disagreements, the President, after presiding over the UDA National Executive Committee meeting at State House, made the decision on Saturday evening.
The UDA party announced that a resolution had been reached to conduct the Nairobi elections in the coming days, allowing party delegates to select their leaders.
It was suggested that Nairobi’s elections could coincide with those of the other two counties, simplifying the logistical process.
Despite reports that Gachagua, the second in command, is supporting Gakuya’s faction, the legislator has denied any involvement.
The Gakuya faction prefers manual elections, while the Sakaja camp favors a pure digital process for selecting county officials; however, in the recent Nairobi Constituency elections, Sakaja camp emerged victorious with 240 votes, surpassing Gakuya’s 340 votes.
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