Marsabit residents reject UDA, Jubilee nominees for MCA
UDA headquarters in Nairobi.
Marsabit residents have rejected nominees to the county assembly selected by the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Jubilee parties.
Speaking to the Nation in Marsabit town, Ms Qabale Tache, who champions the rights of people with HIV, cited lack of consultation, bribery, favouritism and cronyism in the nominations.
“We want the list to be revoked and in the event that they are sworn in we will seek legal redress to reverse the process,” Ms Tache said.
She claimed that the most deserving aspirants were left out during UDA nominations as the slots were dished out to the highest bidders.
She called the process a “sham and a big joke” and called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to de-gazette the list. Ms Tache was number three on the UDA list.
She said she used her resources to campaign for UDA in Marsabit County and was repaid with deception.
Ms Tache, who is also a community social worker, was honoured for her efforts by President Uhuru Kenyatta with the Order of the Golden Heart (OGH) in 2021 and recognised as a “shujaa”.
Lives of people
Her efforts also caught the attention of Marsabit Governor Mohamud Ali’s wife, who gave her a cash award and a certificate for touching the lives of people in the region.
She appealed to President William Ruto to ensure there was fairness in nominations across the country.
Also complaining was Zainabu Dabaso, a representative of people with disabilities, whose application for a Jubilee MCA slot was not considered. Her name was shortlisted, only to be dropped in favour of people whose names had not been shortlisted.
Mr Mussa Sheik Nurr, from Moyale, claimed people with disabilities also got a raw deal in other parties, including Kanu, Jubilee and UPIA.
A youth representative who was number two on the UDA list, Mr Nurr warned that the party risked losing ground if it did not listen to the public outcry.
“It has come to our notice that the UDA nomination in Marsabit was a clear phenomenon where cartels and public fund looters were prioritised at the expense of the qualified applicants in the list,” he said.
