Jubilee relegated to minority party in Nakuru, Baringo county assemblies

Deputy president William Ruto with Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika addressing residents of Mauche in Njoro,Nakuru county on November 25, 2021. [Kipsang Joseph,Standard]

The Jubilee Party has been relegated from majority to minority party in the county assemblies of Nakuru and Baringo.

This is after the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) clinched the majority of the elective seats in the two assemblies in the just concluded August 9 General Election.

In the Nakuru county assembly which has 55 elective seats, Jubilee controlled the majority with 50 elected members, a number which has now been reduced to six.

William Ruto's UDA will now control the majority in the House with 39 elected members.

ODM which clinched three seats in the 2017 elections has been left with two elected members after its Kivumbini Ward rep Wilbur Onyango lost the elections to an independent candidate Neto Sakwa.

Safina Party got one seat after winning in Elementaita Ward through George Nene who trounced outgoing Majority Leader Moses Ndung'u (UDA) who was elected on the Jubilee ticket in 2017.

The assembly will have seven members elected on independent tickets; the previous assembly had only two independents.

The development has also stripped ODM of its minority role since 2013 though it is expected to team up with Jubilee under Azimio la Umoja One Kenya on the minority side.

The assembly will have new faces since only ten out of 55 members were reelected including two who were nominated to the second assembly.

The parties will also have to nominate more members to the assembly in line with the gender rule since only seven women have been elected. The assembly is expected to have at least 18 elected women.

In the 2017-2022 county assembly, only five women were elected leading to the nomination of 21 for gender top-up, youth and minorities. Only two men were nominated.

With UDA commanding the majority in the House, it will nominate more members followed by Jubilee, ODM and Safina in that order.

In Baringo county, only 13 out of 30 MCAs retained their seats. Most of the outgoing members were defeated at the party primaries.

In the last Baringo county assembly, Jubilee was the majority with 20 members followed by Kanu with seven while ODM had two and one independent.

UDA has however turned the tables against Jubilee after clinching 20 seats. Jubilee managed to secure only one seat in Mukutani Ward which was won by Paul Lolkisoi while Kanu got six seats.

KUP will be represented by one member Diana Siriti of Churo/Amaya Ward previously held by Ameja Selemoi of Kanu.

ODM won one seat through Wesley Lekakimon of Inchamus ward while Ayub Kibet won the Ewalele Chap Chap ward on an independent ticket.

Those who successfully defended their seats are MCAs Sam Lourine (Tirioko), Solomon Makal (Kolowa), Daniel Tuwit (Ribkwo), Maria Losile (Loiyamork) and Shadrack Mailuk (Tangulbei).

Saimo Kipsaraman MCA John Aengwa (UDA) was the only ward rep in the Baringo North constituency who was re-elected.

Kisanana ward MCA Jacob Cheboiwo (UDA) in Mogotio Constituency retained the seat while his two counterparts of Mogotio and Emining were defeated.

In Eldama Ravine all the MCAs elected were from the UDA party. Three MCAs from the constituency Julius Ngotie of Ravine ward, Lembus Kwen Lawi Kipchumba and Benjamin Koech of Lembus ward successfully defended their seats.

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