Two battle for Kanu ticket in hot contest for Isiolo North seat.

Former Isiolo North MP Joseph Samal and nominated Senator Abshiro Halakhe are bracing for a fierce nomination battle, with both maintaining they will vie on a Kanu ticket.

The party has a difficult task of deciding who between Mr Samal and Ms Halakhe will be its flagbearer for the hotly contested Isiolo North MP’s seat, which has attracted nine aspirants.

Others seeking to unseat incumbent MP Hassan Odha are Osman Shariff Abukar, Lucy Mworia, Abdilatif Boru, Mwenda Thuranira, Ali Dida, Dr Mohammud Abdikadir Guyo, Fatuma Ali and Mohammed Abdullahi.

Mr Samal enjoys significant support among his Turkana community, which has over 10,000 votes, while Ms Halakhe’s Sakuye clan has about 6,000 votes.

“I am vying for the Kanu ticket. If we go to the nominations, will you support me?” Mr Samal asked during a minority communities' meeting, with the audience responding in the affirmative.

Vie as independent

Whoever loses in the Kanu nominations could join forces with other candidates or vie as an independent candidate, as there is a 14-day window to do so.

Like other parties with several contestants vying for the same seat, all eyes are on how Kanu will appease leaders who lose in nominations without sparking a falling-out, which could work to the advantage of their opponents.

Kanu secretary-general Nick Salat said they wanted candidates seeking the same seats to reach a consensus to prevent acrimony, but if this fails, fair and transparent nominations will be conducted.

The party’s amended nomination rules say that research or opinion polls may be used to determine the most popular candidate. Interviews to establish the most suitable aspirant is another nomination option.

If the three fail to work, its national elections board will conduct nominations at selected polling stations that only paid-up party members whose names appear in the party register will participate in through secret balloting.

“We are very sensitive over the issue and our first option is to see if the candidates can agree so that we can prevent acrimony,” Mr Salat said.

Track record

Mr Samal’s bid is pegged on his development track record when he served from 2013 to 2017. He says he needs to complete pending projects, while Ms Halakhe is trying to endear herself as the new leader that the constituency needs.

“There are those whose time is gone and others who have already been tried. It is time to take a new direction by electing Abshiro Halakhe,” she said recently.

Mr Samal is perceived to be among the front-runners in the race to unseat MP Odha.

The presence in the race of Dr Mohammud, from Ms Halakhe’s Sakuye clan, could complicate the lawmaker’s chances of becoming the next Isiolo North MP as both will share the clan’s votes.

Split into two groups

The leaders’ political differences threaten to divide party members in the middle, with local officials already split into two groups, one supporting Mr Samal and the other supporting Ms Halakhe.

Sources in Mr Samal’s camp expressed fears that they could be rigged out due to Ms Halakhe’s closeness to some of the national party officials, which analysts say is a possible head-start for her.

But Mr Salat assured aspirants that countrywide nominations will be free and fair and that the party will ensure aspirants’ closeness to officials is not used to push or lock out particular candidates.

“No candidate will be favoured against the other. Nepotism within the party will not be condoned,” he maintained.

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