Parties reward loyalists with parliamentary nomination slots
Some of the people appearing in party nomination lists submitted to IEBC. Top row, left to right: Ms Karen Nyamu, Ms Peris Tobiko, Mr Harold Kipchumba and Ms Rahab Mwikali Muiu. Bottom row, left to right: Ms Sylvia Mueni, Mr Charles Njagua, MsSunjeev Birdi and Ms Lina Jebii Kilimo.
Political party officials and MPs who lost in primaries have grabbed parliamentary nomination slots reserved for special interest groups.
President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee, Deputy President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA), Mr Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), Mr Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper Democratic Movement (WDM), Mr Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress (ANC) and Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula’s Ford Kenya have placed party bosses, MPs, relatives and cronies of the leaders in strategic positions to secure nomination to the National Assembly and Senate.
Proportionate sharing
The 12 nomination slots to the National Assembly and 20 to the Senate are shared out among the parliamentary political parties proportionate to the number of their elected lawmakers.
The same criteria applies to the election of members of county assemblies for party list seats.
Party lists are submitted in order of priority, which means the higher a member is ranked the better the chances of nomination should the party qualify to nominate.
This explains why the party bosses have placed themselves in the first slots. For instance, Wiper Secretary-General Shakila Abdalla — whose occupation is listed as a worker — is the first on the party’s nominees to the Senate.
Women nominees
ODM has also listed National Elections Board chairperson Catherine Mumma first on the list of women nominees to the Senate and party chairman John Mbadi is second on the list of nominees to the National Assembly.
UDA has also ranked secretary-general Veronica Maina first on the list of women nominees to Senate.
The ruling party representative in the Azimio One Kenya Coalition Party council Sabina Chege is also first on Jubilee’s list of nominees to the National Assembly.
The Constitution provides 12 members are nominated by parliamentary political parties according to their proportion of members of the National Assembly to represent special interests, including the youth, persons with disabilities and workers.
It also provides that political parties nominate 20 senators proportional to the number of Senate seats won by the party.
These include 16 women, two members, being one man and one woman, representing the youth, and another two members, being one man and one woman, representing persons with disabilities.
Lists published
The names are contained in the political parties’ party lists published by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Wednesday.
In the current Parliament, only Jubilee, ODM, Wiper, ANC and Ford Kenya secured nomination slots to the National Assembly.
Jubilee, which had 141 elected MPs and 25 woman reps, secured six nomination slots. ODM, which had 59 MPs and 11 woman reps, got three nomination slots.
Wiper, ANC and Ford Kenya were each allocated one nomination slot.
Wiper had 19 elected MPs and three woman reps, ANC secured 12 MPs and one woman rep while Ford Kenya had 11 MPs and one woman rep.
At the Senate, Jubilee, which had 24 senators, secured 12 nomination slots while ODM that had 13 senators got seven nominees.
Wiper and Kanu, which had two senators each after the 2017 elections, were allocated one nomination slot each.
Well-connected people
In the 2022 nomination list published by IEBC, top party officials and well-connected personalities including current legislators are poised to land nomination seats.
Jubilee nominees include President Kenyatta’s sister, Ms Kristina Wambui Kenyatta, Nairobi Governor Anne Kananu, Ms Chege, the Murang’a county woman rep, and Senate deputy speaker Margaret Kamar.
The party’s national chairman Nelson Dzuya has also been earmarked for nomination to the National Assembly.
Ms Kenyatta and Ms Kananu have been slotted for the Senate.
The commission had earlier rejected lists from all the parties participating in the August 9 polls after they shunned marginalised groups for which the 32 seats in the National Assembly and the Senate were created.
Reviewing lists
IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati gave the parties seven days to review the lists before resubmitting names by July 22.
“The political parties are required, as guided by law, to review the lists within seven days and resubmit on or before July 22, being seven days from the date of rejection,” Mr Chebukati said in his earlier statement.
The parties were required to submit 12 names for nomination to the National Assembly, 16 women nominees to the Senate, two youths to the Senate and two persons with disability to the Senate.
For county assemblies, they are required to submit 47 lists, each representing a county, and separately consisting of eight marginalised group nominees.
Final lists
But in the party lists published Wednesday, several names of party officials and well-connected members of the political parties still found their way into the final lists.
In ODM, Mr Mbadi, who shelved his ambition for the Homa Bay governor’s seat, has been listed for nomination to the National Assembly, where he serves as the minority leader.
The ODM Senate list also includes Orange Women Democrats national chairperson Beth Syengo and Busia woman rep Florence Mutua who unsuccessfully sought the party’s ticket for the Busia governor seat.
ODM youth league chairperson John Ketora has also been earmarked for nomination to the National Assembly.
Ms Eunice Zisiga Lumallas, Wiper lawyer and secretary, coalition coordination committee, has also been earmarked for nomination to the Senate.
Whereas ANC party dropped the name of its secretary-general Simon Gikuru which had featured in its initial list, the party has listed its executive director Margaret Ndanyi for nomination to the Senate as well as chair of the party’s disciplinary committee Harriet Chiggai.
Mr Mudavadi’s private secretary Kibisu Kabatesi and ANC persons with disability league chairperson Moses Oburu are earmarked for nomination to the National Assembly.
Ford Kenya Organising Secretary Chris Mandu has also been listed by the party for nomination to the National Assembly, so is Party of National Unity (PNU) secretary-general John Okemwa.
Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi’s Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) has also earmarked its secretary-general Benedict Furaha and spokesperson Lucas Baya Maitha for nomination to the National Assembly.
Other notable names include Narok woman rep Soipan Tuya (UDA), Ms Rose Nyamunga (ODM), Kajiado East MP Peris Tobiko (UDA), Nairobi politician Karen Nyamu (UDA), nominated Senator Sylvia Kasanga (Wiper) and Bomet Woman rep Joyce Korir (UDA) who are on their respective party nomination lists to the Senate.
Others are Laikipia Woman Rep Catherine Waruguru (UDA), Starehe MP Charles Njagua (UDA) and nominated Senator Petronila Were (ANC) whose names appear on the lists for nomination to the National Assembly.
Chama Cha Kazi leader Moses Kuria, who had earlier submitted his name for nomination to the National Assembly, did not make it to the final list since he is vying for Kiambu governor’s seat. The law prohibits aspiring candidates to be listed as possible nominees.
