Five politicians who narrowly missed out on Jubilee nominations to the Senate could be in luck if the ruling party kicks out “defiant” senators.
Five of the party’s nominated senators are facing expulsion and are set to appear before the party’s disciplinary committee headed by lawyer Lumateti Muchai.
Jubilee sent show-cause letters to nominated senators Millicent Omanga, Falhada Iman, Jillo Waqo, Victor Prengei and Mary Seneta.
They are accused of snubbing President Uhuru Kenyatta’s meeting at State House last Monday that led to the removal of Senators Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo Marakwet) and Susana Kihika (Nakuru) as Majority Leader and Whip respectively.
According to the law, Jubilee will not be required to submit fresh names to replace them but will use the party list submitted to IEBC before the last polls.
According to the list, the next nominees in line are Caroline Daudi, Jelagat Kamuren and Beatrice Gambo who are all listed as businesswomen.
Others are former Jubilee vice chair (strategy) Veronica Maina and Wambui Nyutu, a member of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission.
During the 2017 election, in the Senate Jubilee gave a list of 20 names – 16 women, two persons with disability (one male and one female) and two youths (one male and one female).
On Sunday, Jubilee secretary general Raphael Tuju told off the embattled senators relaying their apologies through the media to instead face the disciplinary team.
Tuju said such apology would not save the senators from the disciplinary process
“All explanation they are giving to the media is not useful. Once cases have gone to the disciplinary committee, that process is very methodical,” Tuju said.
Tuju spoke during a night political show in one of the local television stations.
The law allows IEBC to re-allocate a seat belonging to an expelled legislator to the next person of the same gender on the party list.
Senator Isaac Mwaura affirmed that nominated legislators owed their allegiance purely to the party leader.
“Nominated legislators are a property of the party. You have a very limited and little option if any to do things the way you want to,” he explained.
Mwaura, a nominated senator, added that legislators not picked at the ballot are required to be completely loyal to the party leader. “This is why those who did not attend the State House meeting are writing letters to explain their absence. You will be seeing more of that,” he stated.
He added that political parties are not fully democratic and have some sense of authoritarianism.
“That is why I am coming up with the Party Primaries Bill, which will guide how parties pick their candidates in an election. The Jubilee nomination in Ruiru was shambolic and I was injured during the exercise,” he added.
“We don’t have mature politics in Kenya and that is why you see me dressing in party regalia; not because they are very comfortable but because I have to.”
Mwaura noted that nominated legislators have to toe the party line more so because their removal is easy when compared to ousting of an elected MP.
He, however, called for a ceasefire, saying their opponents might take advantage of their infighting to advance their interests.
