Big names get lifeline in party nominations
Established political names have been given a lifeline after key coalitions and parties proposed them for nomination to the Senate or National Assembly.
A list published yesterday shows the parties sought to reward loyalty, party officials and individuals who stepped down from various contests in favour of rivals.
Women leaders are poised to reap the biggest dividend in the nominations, especially in the Senate as parties seek to bridge the gender gap.
Senate Deputy Speaker Margaret Kamar and Nairobi governor Anne Kananu might find their way to the Senate after the August polls as nominees of the Jubilee Party.
President Uhuru Kenyatta’s sister, Kristina Wambui Pratt, is also among individuals that the Jubilee Party, which he heads, has nominated for Senate.
In a list published by Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) yesterday, Wambui has been listed as number two among 16 women that the party has nominated to the Senate.
Others are Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) for Gender Linah Jebii Kilimo, Rukia Ahmed Subo Muhamed, currently serving as Kenya’s ambassador to Iran.
Kamar is ranked at position one while Kristina comes in second, Kananu third and Kilimo fourth.
Ranking order
In the National Assembly, Jubilee has nominated current Murang’a County Woman Representative Sabina Chege, who announced she would not be defending her seat and would instead campaign for the Azimio-One Kenya presidential candidate, Raila Odinga.
Other nomiees are Jubilee National Chairman Nelson Dzuya and Alex Matere, who serves in the Azimio presidential campaign. Also on the list of persons living with disabilities is Sammy Leshore, who served as the first Samburu Senator.
Leshore had previously been nominated to replace Isaac Mwaura in the Senate but his nomination was revoked.
Jubilee has also nominated members to represent the gender top-up category for each County Assembly as well as nominees representing marginalised groups in county assemblies.
For an individual to make it to either Houses of Parliament or county assemblies as nominated candidates, priority is given based on the ranking order. For instance, a candidate placed at position one on the nomination list stands a higher chance of clinching the slot compared to the others.
The decision to publish the list comes after IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati a week ago rejected 79 party lists for non-compliance with the law.
In a statement, the commission said it had received 70 party lists as at June 25 and proceeded to review them to ensure compliance. “None of the submitted 79 party lists were compliant and stand rejected for various reasons documented for each respective party,” the Commission says.
Ethnic diversity
Guidelines published by IEBC earlier this year indicate that each party list must reflect regional and ethnic diversity of the people of Kenya. However, this criterion does not apply for county assembly nominees. Each party list must have 12 nominees for National Assembly, 16 women and two youth nominees for Senate and two persons with disability, also for Senate.
For county assemblies, parties were required to submit 47 lists, each representing a county and separately consisting of eight marginalised group nominees.
Further, they were to submit 47 lists, each representing a county and separately consisting nominees equal to the number of wards in the respective county.
Leading parties in Azimio and Kenya Kwanza have nominated their leaders’ allies, who include both sitting and former MPs. ODM has nominated National Assembly Minority Leader John Mbadi, nominated Nyamira County Assembly MCA Irene Mayaka, Umulkher Mohamed and Harold Kipchumba.
For the senatorial seat, those who made it in the list are National Elections Board (NEB) chairperson Catherine Mumma, Beatrice Akinyi Oyomo, Hamida Ali Kibwana, and former nominated MP Sunjeev Birdi.
In the special seat’s category, notable faces include former Sauti Sol Protégé, Crystal Asige and Nickson Ochieng while those nominated to represent youths are Fikirini Kahindi and Hezena Lemaletian.
For National Assembly, Kanu nominated party stalwart and Coast point man Abdullrahman Bafadhil, Conrad Thorpe, Betty Juliet Birchongo and Regina Chang’oroko. In the Senate, the party has nominated Barbara Jerono, Maryanne Mugo and Sintoyia Kasaine. UDA has nominated Bishop Jackson Kosgei - father to the famous musician Emmy Kosgei - Teresia Wanjiru Mwangi who challenged Ruto for the UDA party ticket but was disqualified, Laikipia Woman Rep Catherine Waruguru and Starehe MP Charles Njagua, alias Jaguar, who lost in the nomination contest.
Dropped candidature
For the senatorial seat, the party nominated UDA Secretary-General Veronica Maina, Narok Woman Rep Roselinda Soipan Tuya who dropped her candidature for the governorship in favour of Patrick ole Ntutu, Bomet Woman Rep Joyce Korir — who contested for the Bomet central seat and lost — and Miraj Abdillahi.
Others are former Nairobi senatorial aspirant Karen Nyamu who dropped her bid in favour of Margret Wanjiru, and Kajiado East Member of Parliament Peris Tobiko.
ANC has nominated Petronila Were, currently nominated MP, Joseph Denar and the party’s spokesperson Kibisu Kabetesi who is number seven to the National Assembly.
Margaret Ndanyi, Margret Ntongai, Harriet Chiggai and Josephine Gumato have been nominated for Senate.
Wiper party has nominated Lucas Wambua, Esther Karbwali, Dominic Keter and journalist Elizabeth Kanini for National Assembly. In the Senate, it has picked Senator Sylvia Kasanga, the secretary general, Shakila Abdalla, Eunice Lumallas and Rahab Ndambuki. Ford Kenya has for National Assembly nominated Garrissa Woman Rep Anab Gure and Wetangula’s personal assistant, Christopher Mandu, among others.
At Senate level, the party has nominated Milicent Abuodho, Rise Kisiang’ani and Maureen Kemunto.
Although there are many other nominees who are not well known public figures, the nominations of tried and tested politicians is set to set the tone of debate in the next Parliament in which seasoned hands will come in handy in the event of heated debates.
The two Houses of Parliament are likely to be polarised depending on how parties perform during next month’s election.
In the event that the person who wins the presidency fails to garner a majority in Parliament, this will most likely cause the candidate political pain given that a sitting president needs Parliament to approve critical government projects, including annual Budgets.
This increases the need for anyone sitting in State House to have reliable allies in the two Houses, as well as in counties.
