TODAY most political parties are selecting their nominees for the March 4 elections.

Those elections will choose 290 MPs, 47 governors, 47 senators, 47 women representatives, and 1,450 county representatives.

There are three main coalitions - Amani, Cord and Jubilee - plus various other parties

By the end of today, there will be perhaps 8,000 politicians who have happily secured the party nomination for one seat or other.

But there will be perhaps 30,000 people who are very unhappy because they have lost the nomination.

We have already seen internal fighting among some party supporters in the run-up to the nominations.

Today those unhappy losing candidates should not resort to violence to express their discontent.

If they feel they have been cheated, they can go to court, or speak to the media. But let them not send in thugs to disrupt the proceedings.

It is vital for Kenya that the March 4 election goes off peacefully. If January 17 goes off peacefully, it will be a good sign that Kenya is a peaceful and mature democracy. It will set the tone for the actual election.

So let today's losers demonstrate that they are real nationalists by accepting the nomination results gracefully.

Quote of the day: "No fathers or mothers think their own children ugly." - Miguel de Cervantes published Don Quixote on January 17, 1605