Lamu County Assembly nominates six women MCAs

Anab Haji, the only woman who had been elected on a Jubilee Party ticket as Hindi Ward MCA in the 2017 General Election, failed to secure her seat in the last poll.

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • Lamu County Assembly has nominated six women to give the house a fair gender representation.
  • The nomination list as per IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati, also included the marginalized groups.

Six women have been nominated to the Lamu County Assembly, giving the house a fair gender representation.

During the August 9 General Election, no woman won any of the ten county wards across Lamu.

The only woman, Anab Haji, who had been elected on a Jubilee Party ticket as Hindi Ward MCA in the 2017 General Election, failed to secure her seat in the last poll. She was defeated by a male counterpart and newcomer in politics, James Njaaga of the Safina Party.

The incoming Lamu County Assembly had to get a high number of nominations for women so as to get the one-third gender representation in leadership.

This week, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) fully constituted the county assemblies across the country after gazetting the nominated MCAs.

The nomination list as per IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati, also included the marginalized groups.

Among the female nominated MCAs for the Lamu County Assembly includes Coast Region Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Women League chair Zahara Mohamed Shee.

Youth representative

Others are Aisha Abdulrahman of Amani National Congress (ANC), Amina Hassan Bwana (Forum for Restoration of Democracy-Kenya), Hope Wanjiku Mwaura (National Rainbow Coalition-Kenya), Beatrice Wamaitha Munge (Safina), and Mercy Wangeci Nyambura (United Party of Independent Alliance).

“I am happy to have received a nomination again to the Lamu County Assembly. Remember in 2013-2017, I was also nominated as MCA in the Lamu County Assembly. I am ready to bank my experience in the running of the incoming house,” said Ms Shee.

The IEBC marginalized list released incorporates former Faza MCA Fahd Dini Adnan (Ford-Kenya) who represents the minority group, Ahmed Omar Hamid (ANC) who represents the youth and Husni Alawy Mohamed (ODM) representing People Living with Disabilities (PLWD).

The last Lamu County Assembly had only one elected female and six nominated women MCAs.

In general, the assembly had a total of 18 MCAs out of which ten were elected and eight nominated.

The recent IEBC gazettement now paves way for the swearing-in of the MCAs.

Lamu Governor, Issa Abdalla Timamy, has already gazetted the first sitting of the Lamu County Assembly scheduled for Thursday, September 22, 2022, at 10 am.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 7B (1) of the County Government Act, I, Issa Abdalla Timamy, Governor, Lamu County, appoint that the first sitting of the County Assembly of Lamu shall be held at the County Assembly Buildings in the main chamber, Mokowe, on Thursday, the 22nd September 2022, at 10 am,” Mr Timamy stated in a gazette notice.