Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has nominated six people for election to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).
Notable names on the list include ODM party leader Raila Odinga’s daughter Winnie Odinga, the party’s national treasurer Timothy Bosire and former Mombasa gubernatorial aspirant Suleiman Shabal.
Others are Justus Kizito, Beatrice Askul and Mohammed Diriye.
In a statement on Wednesday, November 9, ODM said the six were nominated yesterday during the party’s selection committee presided over by deputy party leader and former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya.
The ODM Selection Committee presided by DPL @GovWOparanya met yesterday & nominated the following for election to EALA:
— The ODM Party (@TheODMparty) November 9, 2022
Suleiman Shahbal- Mombasa Mohammed Diriye- Wajir
Winnie Odinga- Nairobi Timothy Bosire- Nyamira
Beatrice Askul- Turkana
Justus Kizito- Kakamega
Winnie Odinga’s nomination comes weeks after she poured cold water on proposals to front her name as a member of the regional assembly.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Nation, the last-born daughter of Raila stated that she was privy to information that her name had been proposed for an EALA slot.
She, however, averred that she was neither interested in the EALA position nor the Kibra parliamentary seat, a constituency his father represented in parliament for 15 years.
“I hear some people have proposed my name for EALA, but I am not interested. And there is also no vacancy in Kibra. My interest is in supporting my father,” she said.
Kwanza Kwanza EALA nominees
Meanwhile, the Kenya Kwanza Alliance has nominated 15 persons for election to EALA.
Among the nominees are former nominated senator David Sankok and Hassan Omar who unsuccessfully contested for the Mombasa governor’s seat in the August 9 general election.
Others recommended for EALA seats are Yasser Bajaber, Salim Busidy, Lilian Tomitom, Cyprian Iringo, Jonas Kuko, Abdikadir Aden and Falhadha Iman to EALA positions.
Joel Nyambane, Godfrey Karobia, Fredrick Charles, Zipporah Kering, and Rebecca Lowoiya have also been nominated for the positions.
A total of 145 candidates had expressed interest in representing Kenya Kwanza at EALA while Raila Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition camp had more than 90 applicants.
The nominees will appear before parliament for vetting before a vote is cast to determine members who will represent Kenya at the regional assembly.
Raila’s Azimio and President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza are jostling for nine slots allocated to Kenya at EALA.
Kenya Kwanza, being the majority in both Houses, will have five slots, while Azimio will have four slots with ODM getting two, Jubilee one and Wiper one.
