A group of persons with disabilities in Uasin Gishu has protested against a list of nominated MCAs that was recently gazetted by IEBC.
Led by Regina Chumba, the group claim they were shortchanged in the final nomination list that IEBC published.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) a few weeks ago published a list of nominated MCAs for Uasin Gishu. The list was gazetted alongside the other county assemblies.
In Uasin Gishu, of the 14 nominated slots, none were from persons living with disabilities.
“The list of nominated MCAs in Uasin Gishu is not constitutional. The law requires that two persons be nominated to represent persons with disabilities but there was none here,” Chumba said during a media briefing.
She lamented that those justifying their exclusion from the list of nominated MCAs were arguing that there are already elected MCAs with disabilities that will represent their interests.
“That should not be the basis for not having an MCA nominated to represent PWD,” said Regina Chumba who was among those listed for nomination by United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Minority
In the IEBC nomination list for Uasin Gishu County Assembly, 10 slots were allocated for gender top with four going to the ethnic minority, youth, marginalized and minority group.
“I applied for nomination in May and I was listed in first, second and third nomination lists but was surprised that the name was missing in the IEBC gazette,” lamented Robert Kiptanui Kering.
“I was to represent persons with disabilities and I want to know why I was left out of the final list,” he added.
At least nine persons living with disabilities in Uasin Gishu had applied to be included in the UDA MCA nomination list.
Only three made it to the list that was presented to the IEBC.
The electoral body used the list to pick the nominated MCA, and persons with disabilities now accuse the political leaders in the county of rewarding their cronies at their expense.
Also Read: Names of 14 Nominated MCAs in Uasin Gishu
“We must have a representation at the County Assembly. We were shortchanged in 2013 and 2017 but this time round we will not let it go,” noted Kering from Turbo Sub County.
“What kind of leadership is this that denies an opportunity for the blind and disabled?” asked Regina Chumba.
Regina had vied for the Segero/Barsombe MCA seat but failed at the nomination stage. She later applied to be included in the nomination, and she was successful.
Bottom-up
Meshac Kamau, another person living with a disability in Uasin Gishu noted that it was ironic the Kenya Kwanza government was pushing for the bottom-up agenda yet it has shortchanged them.
“The government told us it will focus on bottom-up but it is now doing the opposite. This government for an upside done. Denying us nomination slots is so worrying,” Kamau said.
The persons with disabilities are now planning to move to court to stop the nominated MCAs from being sworn in.
The swearing-in ceremony for all the MCAs, including the nominated ones will be sworn in this Wednesday, September 21, 2022.
