Jaguar, Karen Nyamu, Sabina Chege get a political lifeline in nominations
A number of MPs who lost in the party primaries or did not defend their seats in the just concluded general election are set to make a comeback in Parliament.
All the political party leaders have placed party bosses, MPs, relatives and cronies of the leaders in strategic positions to secure a nomination to the National Assembly and Senate.
Among those nominated is Karen Nyamu who shelved her senatorial ambition and threw her support behind Bishop Margaret Wanjiru, who unfortunately lost to ODM Party Secretary General Edwin Sifuna.
Starehe Member of Parliament Charles Kanyi alias Jaguar also stepped down for former East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Simon Mbugua, who also lost to Jubilee Party candidate Amos Mwago.
Some of the former MPs who have been nominated to parliament are Cate Waruguru (Laikipia Woman Rep) and John Mbadi (Suba East).
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.
ODM also included former Sol Generation singer, Crystal Asige in their list of nominees to the Senate.
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Asige was nominated to represent persons with disabilities in the Senate. Asige, who is visually impaired, was nominated alongside her male counterpart Kakiri Ochieng.
Other notable names include Narok woman rep Soipan Tuya (UDA), Ms Rose Nyamunga (ODM), Kajiado East MP Peris Tobiko (UDA), nominated Senator Sylvia Kasanga (Wiper) and Bomet Woman rep Joyce Korir (UDA) who are on their respective party nomination lists to the Senate.
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 vied for the Kiambu governor’s seat and lost to Senator Kimani Wamatangi of UDA.
The law prohibits aspiring candidates to be listed as possible nominees.
The Constitution provides 12 members 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.
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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.
President-elect Ruto’s UDA party will nominate five MPs out of the 12 nomination slots after bagging 139 seats in the National Assembly.
He is followed by Odinga’s – led ODM (82), Kenyatta’s Jubilee (27), Musyoka’s Wiper (20), Mudavadi’s ANC (6), PAA (3), UPIA (4), DAP-K (5), while CCM, UDM, DP, MDG, NOPEU, NAP-K, Muungano and GDDP each won one MP seat.
12 MPs were elected on independent tickets.
MPs elected in last week’s election will next week be taken through a two-day orientation of Parliament ahead of the convening of the House next month.
Some 221 MPs will not be coming back to Parliament after they lost their re-election bids while a few went for other seats.
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