Familiar names top winners as IEBC lists nominated MPs
Top party loyalists got a lifeline yesterday after they were nominated to the two Houses of Parliament in a list released by the electoral commission ahead of their swearing-in today.
United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Orange Democratic Movement took the lion’s share of the slots that also benefitted Amani National Congress (ANC), United Democratic Movement (UDM) and the Wiper Democratic Movement.
A list released by Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) President-Elect William Ruto’s UDA got five slots in the National Assembly against Raila Odinga’s ODM with three.
ANC, UDM and Jubilee got a slot each while Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper was not allocated a slot yet due to an interim court order restraining the commission from assigning the seat.
In the Senate, UDA bagged eight slots for women nominees and two others for those representing marginalised groups, bringing the total to 10. Meanwhile, ODM got five slots to represent women and two others for disadvantaged groups, in total bagging seven nomination seats.
Jubilee, Wiper and UDM each got one slot.
On the balance, UDA got more seats than its counterparts, raising the Kenya Kwanza coalition’s numbers ahead of today’s battle to elect Speakers and Deputy Speakers for the National Assembly and Senate.
In a Kenya Gazette notice dated September 7, IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati noted that each candidate reflects the appropriate number of qualified candidates and alternates between male and female, save for the women candidates under Article 98 (1) (b) of the Constitution. They were given the seats in the priority in which they were listed.
The seats referred to were allocated in proportion to the total number of seats won by the each political party at the general election held on the August 9.
Among those nominated to the National Assembly by UDA are Bishop Jackson Kosgei, father of gospel musician Emmy Kosgei, Teresia Wanjiru Mwangi who challenged Ruto for the UDA party presidential ticket but was disqualified, Abdisirat Ali (marginalised), Dorothy Ikiara and Joseph Iraya who have been categorised as workers.
On the flip side, former Laikipia Woman Rep Catherine Waruguru and Starehe MP Charles Njagua, alias Jaguar, who were in the initial list did not make it.
Those from ODM who made it to the National Assembly are outgoing Minority Leader John Mbadi, Nominated Nyamira County Assembly Ward Rep Irene Nyakerario Mayaka and Umulkher Mohamed, representing the youth.
In President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party only outgoing Murang’a County Woman Rep Sabina Chege made it to the list. Chege did not defend her seat because she was redeployed to campaign for Raila.
Initial list
Jubilee chairman Nelson Dzuya and Alex Matere, who served in the Azimio presidential campaign were unlucky.
In Musalia Mudavadi’s ANC party, only Joseph Hamisi Denar made it while in Senator-elect Ali Roba’s UDM only Suleka Hulbale Harun made it to the nomination list.
In the initial list ANC had nominated Petronila Were — currently nominated MP —party spokesperson Kibisu Kabetesi, Salim Mohammed Busaidy and Rahma Hussen, all of who have now fallen by the wayside.
For the Senate, those who made it from UDA include party Secretary-General Veronica Maina, Narok Woman Rep 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 MP Peris Tobiko who contested for the Kajiado governorship position but lost.
In the special seats category, UDA had nominated Raphael Chimer Mwinzagu to represent the youths and George Mbugua to represent persons with disabilities.
Ethnic diversity
According to guidelines published by IEBC earlier in the year, each party list was required to reflect regional and ethnic diversity. However, the criterion is not applicable in the case of party lists for County Assembly seats.
Each party was required to nominate 12 people for the National Assembly, 16 women nominees for Senate, two youth nominees and two persons with disability also for Senate.
Chebukati had before the elections rejected 79 party lists of candidates, saying they had failed to comply with the law.
“None of the submitted 79 party lists were compliant and stand rejected for various reasons documented for each respective party,” Chebukati said at the time.
All parties were then asked to resubmit the names in a specified format.
Those who made it to the Senate from ODM side include the party’s National Elections Board (NEB) chairperson Catherine Mumma, Beatrice Akinyi Oyomo, Hamida Ali Kibwana, Betty Batuli Montet and Beth Kalunda Syengo.
Former nominated MP Sunjeev Birdi, who was in the initial list, was unlucky.
In the special seat’s category, those who made it include former Sauti Sol protégé, Crystal Asige, who will represent persons with disability and Hezena Lemaletian for the youth.
In Jubilee, only outgoing Uasin Gishu Senator Margret Kamar made it to the Senate list.
President Kenyatta’s sister, Kristina Wambui Pratt, former Nairobi governor Ann Kananu, former Chief Administrative Secretary in charge of Gender Linah Jebii Kilimo, Rukia Ahmed Subo Muhamed who currently serves as the Kenyan ambassador to Iran — all of who were earmarked for Senate slots were not successful.
In Wiper, only the secretary general Shakila Abdalla made it to the list while Mariam Sheikh Omar will be the UDM nominee.
