Cord split delays IEBC team’s work

A disagreement between ODM and Ford-Kenya is holding up the formation of a parliamentary committee to spearhead electoral reforms.

The two Cord affiliate parties are unable to agree on a candidate to replace Kanu’s Mogotio MP Hellen Sambili who declined appointment last week.

Cord withdrew its members and asked for two more days to consider its nominations after MPs from ODM clashed with those from Ford-K at the house business committee (HBC) meeting on Tuesday evening.
The HBC is supposed to constitute a 14-member team, made up of members from the Senate and National Assembly, being seven from Cord and an equal number from Jubilee, to decide the fate of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

At the centre of the dispute was the nomination of Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale by Ford-K to replace Ms Sambili.

ODM is opposed to the nomination of Dr Khalwale, who was elected on a United Democratic Forum ticket but switched allegiance to Ford-K and wants the slot handed to the party’s Busia Woman Representative Florence Mutua.

The Kakamega senator’s nomination had been made via a letter signed by the Cord management team of Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama, James Orengo (Siaya, ODM) and Dr Eseli Simiyu (Tongaren, Ford-K).

“If they want a lady, they can replace Junet Mohammed but they shouldn’t touch our slots,” said Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa as Ford-K MPs argued that their party and Wiper should have two members each and ODM three on the select committee.

“They (party leaders) had made a decision but we don’t know who is sponsoring these other sideshows because these things had been done by the three principals and we had decided at the PG (Parliamentary Group meeting) that it be left at their discretion. I don’t know why they are delaying us,” he said.

ODM leader Raila Odinga and secretary-general Ababu Namwamba said the party’s central management committee discussed Ford-K’s nomination of Dr Khalwale to replace Prof Sambili and agreed on settling the matter speedily to enable the select committee start its work.

“We discussed the issue of IEBC and how it should be sorted out,” said Mr Odinga by phone. Mr Namwamba said the party leader explained to the meeting how the coalition got locked into the matter.

“We spent about 70 per cent of the meeting on IEBC with the party leader explaining how Cord got into a grid lock as it tried balancing between political parties’ demands,” he said. Other sources at the meeting said members complained that Ford-K had “grabbed” the slot and handed it to Dr Khalwale.

During the HBC meeting on Tuesday evening, Deputy Minority Leader Jakoyo Midiwo, Minority Whip Thomas Mwadeghu and fellow ODM MPs Chachu Ganya and Gladys Wanga were reported to have raised the issue regarding the list.

They complained of imbalance in representation between the Senate and the National Assembly with the former taking four slots and the latter three. They were categorical that Prof Sambili should be replaced by a woman instead of the Kakamega senator.

Ms Wanga was among women MPs from ODM who addressed a press conference on Tuesday evening and asked their party leaders to have a woman replace Prof Sambili.

Members of the Wiper Party are also understood to be uncomfortable with the nomination of two senators from the party – Mr Muthama and Makueni’s Mutula Kilonzo Junior – rather than a senator and a Member of the National Assembly. This was, however, understood to have been a minor issue.