Legal battle looms over list of Kericho nominated MCA list

Belgut MP-elect Nelson Koech (Photo: Courtesy)

A bitter legal battle is looming over the list of the 17 nominated Members of Kericho County Assembly (MCA).

reacting to the publication of the Special Issue of the Kenyan Gazette which listed 13 nominees for the gender top up and the four nominees for the marginalised group, two Members of Parliament (MPs) elect, declared that they will move to the court tomorrow under certificate of urgency to stop the swearing in of the nominated MCAs until their petition is heard and determined.

Belgut MP Nelson Koech said his decision was informed by the fact that the list released by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) was contrary to the law since it did not comprise of even a single Person With Disabilities (PWDs).

“I am shocked and disappointed that the list of nominated nominees doesn’t comprise Persons With Disabilities. I am surprised that the PWD that I had forwarded for nomination Evans Kurgat, who is from Kabianga ward in my constituency but he was axed from the list,” he said.

Speaking separately, Bureti MP elect Japheth Mutai accused a senior county elected leader of allegedly altering the list even after the area leaders had reached a consensus before its submission to IEBC.

“After emerging victorious in the Jubilee Party Primaries, senior county leaders who comprised Governor Paul Chepkwony, Senator Aaron Cheruiyot and Members of Parliament elect sat down and agreed on the names which were to be forwarded to the electoral body for nominations but today we are shocked by the turn of events,” he said.

He disclosed that the team had agreed that each of the six constituencies would provide three nominees in accordance of priority.

“Bureti which has the highest number of registered voters was given only one slot while Kipkelion East, Ainamoi, Kipkelion West and Soin/Sigowet got three slots each. Whoever altered the list demonstrated much hatred to Bureti residents and will not get away with it,” said Mutai

Koech, argued that though the list of the nominees he had provided were captured in the initial notice for gazette, he was dismayed today to note that person appearing in the list as number one from Belgut was not his nominee.

“You don’t need rocket science but to just read the name and know whose ally she is,” he  said.

By the time of going to the press, Kericho based lawyer Erastus Orina was in the process of drafting the petition to be filed in court tomorrow.