The Office of Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) has cleared ten presidential candidates to vie as independents.
Some of the presidential candidates are Erastus Nyamera, David Mwadende, Prof Michael Wainaina, activist Nazlin Omar and Stephen Owoko from Nyanza.
Others are Robert Juma, Joseph Karani, Nixon Kukuboh, Japheth Kaluyu and Joseph Musyoka.
Also cleared to vie are 26 governors, 30 senators, 13 women representatives, 215 Members of Parliament and 1, 659 Members of County Assemblies (MCAs).
ORPP has also cleared 34 aspirants who have not indicated which position they are vying for.
Elsewhere, aspirants seeking to be on the ballot as independent candidates flocked the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) headquarters ahead of the deadline for submission of symbols.
Aspirants who lost in the Jubilee party primaries from Central Kenya threw their weight behind President Uhuru Kenyatta’s re-election bid.
The aspirants who are defending their respective seats on independent candidate said they had a lifeline despite being rigged out.
Gatanga Member of Parliament Humphrey Njuguna, who ditched Jubilee, asked those downplaying independent candidates not tom underestimate them adding that they would form the majority in the 12th Parliament.
Njuguna, who is among those defending their seats as independent candidates, said that they have been perceived as cowards.
The Gatanga legislator urged the Head of State not to demonise independent candidates.
“Jubilee nominations were marred with irregularities and democracy is accepting the will of the people,” he added.
Kiambu Governor aspirant George Nyanja claimed the results were not a reflection of the will of the people.
The two vowed to campaign for the President and his deputy William Ruto and urged their supporters to vote of them.
“We would like to state that we are not happy with the outcome of the nomination. The exercise was not free and fair. But that is water under the bridge as we have found a lifeline as independent candidates,” said Kandara parliamentary aspirant Philip Kamau aka Njuguna wa Ruth.
Wa Ruth said independent candidates have an opportunity to beat their colleagues sponsored to contest on tickets of major parties.
Nyanja termed the nomination exercise as being worse than the queuing system during the Kanu era.
The number of independent candidate has shot from 200 in 2013 to 4,000 in 2017.
Kamau said future nominations should be conducted by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
To be cleared to run as an independent, an aspirant should submit an application letter requesting clearance, a copy of identity card and Sh500 to be used as search fee to confirm the symbol one wants to use. For efficiency, candidates are encouraged to submit a symbol (printed and a soft copy on CD) they intend to use for verification before submission to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
This is in line with section 32 and 33 of the Elections Act that requires aspirants intending to contest as independent candidates to submit names and symbols to the commission for approval.
IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati said aspirants have until yesterday to file the symbols at the commission offices. The names and symbols of independent candidates will then be published in the Kenya Gazette by May 13.
