The campaigns for the East African Legislative Assembly election officially ends on Wednesday as Kenyans nominated to the regional assembly seek the support of MPs ahead of Thursday’s elections.
Intense campaigns have seen majority of the nominees camp in Parliament to solicit votes.
VOTE
From the 25 nominees, Parliament will vote for Kenya’s nine representatives. Jubilee will fill five slots and Nasa will fill four.
Majority Whip in the National Assembly Bernard Washiali (Mumias East MP) told the Nation that Jubilee will have a parliamentary group meeting on Wednesday to plan on the Eala elections as well as come up with line-ups for House committees and their chairpersons.
This comes even as it emerged that the president’s party has already settled on former Kamukunji MP Simon Mbugua, who is leading the pack of its favourites to represent Kenya in Eala.
The former MP represents Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, and has been a regular figure in Parliament. His choice is almost a foregone conclusion as he enjoys support across the political divide in Parliament.
The others are Ms Eunice Karanja from Trans-Nzoia, who has also been a regular figure in Parliament, former Mandera East MP AbdulAziz Farah, former Tigania East MP Mpuru Aburi and Mr Charles Nyachae (Kisii).
Jubilee is split on Ms Florence Jematiah and Ms Irene Masit, but the choice between the two will be made during the PG meeting.
NOMINEES
The Nasa side has settled on former nominated MP Oburu Oginga (Siaya), Mr Kennedy Kalonzo (Kitui), former Balambala MP Abdikadir Aden (Garissa) and Nasa CEO Norman Magaya (Kakamega).
Although the MPs will vote to decide who represents Kenya in Eala, it is unlikely that they will vote against the wishes of their party bosses.
Unlike Jubilee, which is having a PG to deliberate on the Eala nominees, Nasa will not be having one, according to leader of minority in the National Assembly John Mbadi.
“The essence of a parliamentary group meeting is to give specific orders to members on who to choose, which is not good,” Mr Mbadi, the Suba South MP, said.
“It is like telling the members to vote in a certain way. If that is the case for Jubilee then it shows the level of domineering because why put people to campaign then come and issue directives?” he posed.
ELECTIONS
The elections of Kenya’s representatives to the fourth assembly were set for December 13 but were rescheduled through a resolution of Parliament to give the 25 nominees time to do their last campaigns because Tuesday, which was to be the last day of campaigns, fell on a holiday — Jamhuri Day.
The two major parties in the country gave nominee lists that had three times more people than the number of slots available to each party.
However, two nominees were thrown out because they had not resigned from their current jobs as required by Kenya’s Elections Act.
The Eala Elections Act stipulates that respective parliaments within the East Africa Community shall elect their respective representatives to the regional assembly.
SLOTS
Kenya, just like Tanzania, Burundi, South Sudan, Rwanda and Uganda, has nine slots in the assembly that is hosted in Arusha, Tanzania.
Kenya is the only country that is yet to submit the names of her representatives. The others have already had their members sworn in to the 54-member assembly.
Kenya’s delay in sending her nominees has made the regional assembly unable to transact its business such as electing a speaker and deputy speaker, or forming committees.
It has also delayed the entry of South Sudan, whose MPs will be joining the assembly for the first time since its independence in July 2011.
LAW
The Eala law provides that at least four representatives from a member country must be present before any business is transacted and that the House is fully constituted after the member countries have duly sent their representatives.
Eala liaises with National Assemblies of partner states on matters relating to the community, debating and approving the budget of the community, considering of annual reports on the activities of the community, annual audit reports and any other reports referred to it.
It is also responsible for discussing all matters referred to it regarding the community and making recommendations as it may deem necessary for the implementation of the community treaty.
The third assembly concluded its sittings on June 4, 2017 and the fourth assembly is expected to start early 2018.