The El Molo community who reside on the shores of Lake Turkana has sued the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and Chairman Wafula Chebukati after they were left out of the nomination list for the Marsabit County Assembly.
In the case heard before Justice Roselyn Aburili on Monday, the community accused the Commission and its Chairman of discrimination.
Through lawyer Elias Mutuma, the community noted that they were a minority and marginalised community in the entire North Eastern part of Kenya adding that there are only 2,800 of them in Kenya.
Led by Danila Lenatiyama, they argued that they were completely discriminated with no form of representation in both the national and county governments.
In a sworn statement, Ms Lenatiyama claimed her party, the Frontiers Alliance Party, nominated her to represent the minority and the marginalised in the county and forwarded her name to IEBC for consideration.
She accused the electoral body of deliberately omitting her and instead nominating other persons from majority communities.
Lenatiyama argued the move to deny the El Molo representation will deprive them of opportunities to fully participate and integrate into the social and economic life of Kenya as a whole.
Justice Aburili directed Mr Mutuma to file and serve the main petition within 14 days.
She said the case will be mentioned before Justice John Mativo on September 27 to confirm compliance.
