IEBC clears seven to vie for Nairobi senate seat
Ms Suzanne Silantoi Lenge who is vying as an independent for the Nairobi senate seat displays her nomination certificate after she was cleared by IEBC on May 29, 2017. She is among seven candidates cleared for the seat. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Ms Lenge exuded confidence that she will win the seat in the August poll.
- Jubilee Party’s Johnson Sakaja was cleared with six more candidates being cleared later.
- Mr John Wamagata of Safina said he will ensure the Senate is dismantled if elected.
IEBC has cleared seven candidates for the Nairobi senate race, including a 23-year-old woman, for the August 8 elections.
On Sunday, Jubilee Party’s Johnson Sakaja was cleared with six more candidates being cleared later.
Only one of the candidates, Ms Suzanne Silantoi Lenge, is vying as an independent.
Speaking after she was cleared, Ms Lengwe said the requirement that independent candidates submit 2,000 signatures of their supporters was the toughest of the conditions by IEBC.
She exuded confidence that she will win the seat in the August poll.
SIGNATURES
“Raising the 2,000 signatures was the toughest [thing] but I tried my best and I am happy that I have gone through that hurdle,” she said.
Asked why she is joining politics at a tender age, Ms Lengwe said that having complained a lot about bad leadership, it is time for her to help create the kind of nation she has always wanted.
She said she had opted to contest as an independent because the existing political parties have “their owners” whose views are contrary to hers.
A total of 28 aspirants had shown interest in the seat currently held by Senator Mike Sonko who is now vying for governor.
14 PRESENTED PAPERS
However only 14 actually showed up to present their nominations papers, with only seven being successful.
Among the six who were cleared Monday include ODM’s Edwin Sifuna.
“It is not easy to know who my greatest challenger is because you cannot pinpoint the main challenger in a crowd of seven. But I consider them as my worthy opponents,” Mr Sifuna said.
However, it was not a smooth sailing for the ODM candidate.
TURNED AWAY
On two different occasions, he was turned away owing to some anomaly in his documents.
Mr John Wamagata, who was cleared to carry the Safina flag in the race said he will ensure the Senate is dismantled if elected.
“The Senate is not good for this country because Kenyans are over-represented…it has no role that justifies its existence,” he said.
He also blamed the current senate for the serious challenges being witnessed in the implementation of devolution saying senators have avoided the war on graft because they want to be governors.
“Once I am elected, I will push for a referendum do away with the Senate because its role in devolution can be undertaken by a departmental committee of the National Assembly,” said Mr Wamagata.
