Presidential front runners William Ruto and Raila Odinga may be locked out of the August 9, presidential elections if they will not have registered their political coalitions by March 26.
The law requires that any candidate must belong to a registered party by March 26 if they are to vie for any elective seat in the upcoming elections unless they are running as independent candidates.
ODM leader Raila Odinga and Deputy President William Ruto are expected to square it out on Azimio la Umoja and Kenya Kwanza Coalition respectively.
However, it has emerged that the two coalitions are yet to be officially registered as either political parties or coalitions.
Unlike in the previous elections where presidential candidates vied on their respective party under the coalition, the political party’s amendment bill requires that aspirants vying on a coalition must have their names on the ballot as a coalition’s candidate.
The Registrar of Political Parties Anne Nderitu on Wednesday, March 2, said the two coalitions have just reserved the names of their coalitions.
“We do not have a party named Azimio yet but the name has been reserved. It is the same with Kenya Kwanza, the name has only been reserved,” Nderitu said as quoted by the People Daily.
Nderitu said that should the deputy president and the ODM leader not have registered their coalitions by the set March 26, deadline then the duo would not take part in the much-anticipated August 9, General Election.
It is understood that failure by One Kenya Alliance (OKA) to make a quick decision on whether to join Raila’s Azimio la Umoja is said to have delayed its official unveiling and subsequent registration even as the deadline looms.
This comes even as parties race against time to compile their membership list to beat the March 26 deadline.
