Such tricks ranged from backdating letters submitted to the Registrar of Political Parties declaring their defection to other parties, predating nomination certificates to registering disputes with the electoral commission to buy time to reorganise their messy elections.
Posters giving false impression that some candidates had defected to other parties sprung up in parts of the country as did fake Facebook accounts and Twitter handles that were used to propagate misleading pronouncements.
Some even used condoms in the propaganda war against opponents to win party tickets.
Yet others resorted to buying nomination certificates from wheeler-dealers who took advantage of their desperation.
Meanwhile, parties nullified results and withdrew nominations of aspirants who had won to accommodate favoured individuals.
Asked about a desk at Nairobi’s Anniversary Towers where aspirants dropped off resignation letters addressed to their parties long after the nominations deadline, IEBC chairman Issack Hassan appeared caught offside.
“I understand what you are saying…that some people are backdating, I think,” he hesitated, and then added: “We are in a transitional election, I’ll just say that. This is an election of its kind, the first election under the new Constitution… even you have seen the way the parties have conducted their nominations.”
Mr Hassan suggested that the hiccups and underhand behaviour by some parties and aspirants were part of the natural growth process.
“We need the political party system to grow in this country so I think what you are saying is something the Registrar of Political Parties is seized of,” he noted.
In Machakos, Wiper governor and senate seat aspirants got a rude awakening after they found their campaign posters placed in strategic positions, indicating they had decamped to TNA.
Former government spokesman Alfred Mutua, who was seeking the Machakos governor seat and senate aspirant Boniface Kabaka, accused their opponents of sabotage.
Dr Mutua’s images with TNA symbols were displayed near polling stations while Mr Kabaka found campaign posters indicating he was in TNA.
Mr Kabaka and Dr Mutua were pursuing their interests in one camp and their main rivals for the twoslots were Kangundo MP Johnstone Muthama (senator) and Mr Mutua Katuku (governor).
Dr Mutua clinched the Wiper ticket.
In Kitui, Defence assistant minister David Musila found himself in a tight spot after he purportedly endorsed one of the aspirants for Kitui governor seat.
The purported endorsement had been posted on a Facebook page under the name of a David Musila who many thought was the outgoing Mwingi South MP.
Mr Musila denied owning any Facebook account.
In Murang’a, TNA Kandara aspirant Alice Muthoni Wahome accused former MP Maina Kamau of distributing condoms with her name printed on them in an attempt to deny her the party ticket. - Daily Nation
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