Nominated Senator Isaac Mwaura loses seat after Jubilee expulsion
Nominated Senator Isaac Mwaura has lost his seat following a lengthy tussle with the ruling Jubilee Party.
Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka declared the seat vacant through a gazette notice issued on Monday.
The move follows a decision by Jubilee Party to expel him after he was accused of campaigning for a candidate of a different political outfit.
“It is notified for the information of the public that pursuant to Article103 (1) (e) (i) of the Constitution and section 37 of the Elections Act, the seat of the Member of the Senate elected under Article 98 (1) (d) of the Constitution and held by Hon. Isaac Mwaura Maigua became vacant, with effect from the 7th May 2021,” the notice read.
In March, Mwaura got a reprieve after the High Court in Nairobi temporarily stopped his expulsion.
The politician had moved to court to challenge the ouster which was pegged on grounds of disciplinary violations.
“That pending the hearing and determination of this application inter partes, the first respondent, 2nd respondent, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and the Speaker of the Senate be and hereby barred from implementing the decision of the 1st and 2nd respondent,” the ruling read.
In February, the ruling party expelled Mwaura, Mary Seneta, Falhada Dekow Iman, Naomi Jillo Waqo, Victor Prengei and Millicent Omanga.
Jubilee, through secretary-general Raphael Tuju, expelled the senators for contravening the party’s constitution by announcing his allegiance to UDA party linked with Deputy President William Ruto.
Tuju announced the expulsion would take effect immediately and informed the registrar of political parties to strike out the names of the six senators from the list of Jubilee members.
In March, the Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu removed the name of Mwaura from the list of Jubilee Party members.
In a letter addressed to Tuju, the registrar said she took the step pending the adoption and ratification of the same by the party’s National Executive Committee.
The registrar said the decision was based on the Party Disciplinary Committee report and its decision dated February 6, 2021, the National Management Committee resolution reached on February 8, and The Political Parties Dispute Tribunal ruling that was made on March 26.
Mwaura filed his own petition, while Senators Omanga, Waqo, Yiane, Prengei and Dekow filed a joint application.
In his application, Mwaura argued the decision to expel him contravened the party’s constitution since the disciplinary process against him was initiated without any written and signed complaint.