The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party on Monday cleared 20 candidates who are set to battle in the forthcoming nominations ahead of the Kibra parliamentary by-elections.
The party’s National Elections Board vetted the 20 candidates ordering them to pay a nomination fee of Ksh 250,000 by today(Tuesday) noon.
However, Kenyans on twitter have caused a storm after they argued that one of the contestants in ODM’s nominations scheduled for Saturday 31st August is a renown goon.
Kicking off the debate, controversial blogger Robert Alai asked the party through its official twitter handle if criminals have the right to vie.
On Monday, another controversial blogger, Disembe Dikembe endorsed Brian Shem Owino, whom Kenyans are opposing following his criminal record.
In May last year, Mr Owino was a wanted man by police over an assault case. He was accused of assaulting a Nairobi businessman Timothy Muriuki.
Brian Shem Owino surrendered to police at Nairobi Area DCI hours after he and his accomplices lost a bid to stop their arrest.He was taken in for questioning and possible prosecution.
Nairobi DCI Nicholas Kamwende and his lawyer Edwin Sifuna confirmed Owino’s surrender.
Edwin Sifuna is the ODM secretary general, who on Sunday during the unveiling of the candidates at Kamkunji grounds in Kibera insisted that he was not going to allow any arrogant people to vie.
Owino and his four accomplices had moved to court seeking protection. Sifuna secured his release.
They were captured on camera manhandling the former Nairobi Central Business District Association (NCBDA) chairman at Hotel Boulevard on April 30.
They had moved to court saying their personal security was at risk and that they could be eliminated by the police or deported to an unknown destination on the fake grounds they are not Kenyans and sought anticipatory orders pending their arraignment.
But the court declined to issue the orders and ordered them to appear before police for processing.They said they were ready and willing to surrender to the police but were apprehensive of their personal security and that their anticipated charges were defective, had no basis in law and were unconstitutional and unsustainable.
Brian Shem Owino will face other candidates in ODM nominations and if he makes it, he will carry the ODM flag and face other party’s candidates who among them are candidates from President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee and Musalia Mudavadi’s ANC party.