A storm is brewing in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) after the party's Youth League rejected the gazettement of Harold Kipchumba Kimuge as a nominated MP to replace John Mbadi.
While challenging Kipchumba’s gazettement on Monday, July 28, a section of ODM members accused the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of disregarding the nomination of John Ketora to the role.
Ketora, who is the President of the Youth League, claimed that the Commission ignored his nomination despite meeting the requirements for consideration.
He went on to issue ODM with a one-week ultimatum to address what they termed an ‘injustice’. Ketora warned that failure by the party to resolve the matter would prompt him to direct the youth under their banner on the next course of action.
In addition, the Youth League revealed that it would seek legal redress and move to court to challenge Kipchumba’s nomination.
“We will advocate for this up to where it will take us. Even if it means leaving ODM. We are not short of parties,” warned David Kimutai, a member of the ODM Youth League.
Last week, IEBC gazetted Kipchumba as CS Mbadi’s replacement as a nominated Member of Parliament in a series of changes and reallocation of special seats in both the National Assembly and County Assemblies across Kenya.
Mbadi had been nominated under the workers' category by ODM but had to relinquish his seat following his appointment to Cabinet by President William Ruto. Kipchumba, who is also from ODM, was nominated under the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) category.
This is a point of contention for the Youth League, which argued that there was already a PWD representative in Parliament, and therefore, no need to nominate another under the same category.
“We cannot replace a worker with disability, while disability has already been represented in the Parliament. We are being unfair,” noted Martin Muthusi, the Youth League Vice President.
However, in a quick rejoinder, IEBC noted that it had followed due process in gazetting Kipchumba, adding that the changes were made to correct inconsistencies in party list nominations submitted during the 2022 General Election.
Aside from changes in ODM, nine other changes were made at the county level, affecting special seat nominees in Garissa, Murang’a, Kiambu, Taita Taveta, Makueni, Nyandarua, Kirinyaga, and Kakamega counties.
The changes included shifts in nomination categories such as youth, persons with disabilities, minority groups, and gender top-up lists.
