NAIROBI, Kenya Sep 23 – The Jubilee Party has nominated Githua Ngugi Isaac to replace the late Senator Victor Prengei in the Senate to complete the remaining term ahead of 2022 general elections.
Prengei who was nominated to Parliament in 2017 on a Jubilee Party ticket lost his life after he was involved in a road accident on August 16, in Nakuru County.
His nomination made him the first legislator from the minority Ogiek community to hold that seat.
Secretary General Raphael Tuju, in a statement issued on Thursday, also announced the appointment of Peter Kipsang Cheruiyot as a Regional Director at the Party headquarters.
Cheruiyot was the party’s favorite for the vacant position but was disqualified because of his age.
“Cheruiyot was a front runner for the nomination to replace the late Senator Prengei and was an attractive candidate due to his steadfast position and commitment to the Party in Nakuru County. However, he was found to be ineligible for the position on account of age,” read the statement.
Tuju said Jubilee Party recognizes the need to consider the minority communities for different seats.
“The Party remains committed to mainstreaming of minorities as evidenced by appointment by the Party of Hon. Sammy Leshore from Samburu County to replace former Senator Isaac Mwaura,” he said in a statement.
A section of Senators had called for the nomination of a person from a minirity community to replace Prengei even as they pledged to approve the Minority Protection Bill, in honour of the late Senator who fronted it.
Senators Enock Wambua (Kitui), Amos Wako (Busia) and Irungu Kangata (Muranga) stressed that minorities and marginalized communities should have the opportunities in positions of leadership.
“In Kenya we focus too much on numbers, where we say that politics is a game of numbers which unfortunately tends to leave minorities behind and yet it is from the minorities that we can have national leaders who can bring the entire country together. For instance, they used to say former President Moi was not Nandi but he was from Tugen Community which is a small marginalized sub-tribe. He used that minority factor to lead the nation for 24 years,” Senator Wako said.
“Leaders from the minority must get an equal opportunity to provide leadership beyond their communities. There is no better way of doing that, that to make sure that as colleagues of our departed friend we fast-track a Bill that he had drafted, if we can do that, it shall be a great honour on the rights of the minorities and marginalized communities in this country,” Senator Wambua added.
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