- Kwamboka was known as a great grassroots mobiliser with networks across Nairobi which assisted in mobilising voters to vote for the party’s aspirants.
- In the August polls, ODM which is part of the Azimio la Umoja One coalition crashed Kwamboka’s dream of being elected as the Nairobi Women representative.
Image: MZALENDO TWITTER
Former Senator Beatrice Kwamboka has resigned from ODM.
She is also a former deputy Senate Minority whip.
In a letter addressed to the ODM executive director, dated November 1, Kwamboka expressed her gratitude to Raila Odinga for her tenure at the party.
“I will forever remain grateful to Raila Odinga, ODM and the entire leadership for the nurturing and the exposure that I have experienced for being a party member,” she said.
Speaking to the Star, the lawmaker said she had to exit to create room for others to grow.
“It is for this reason therefore that I write to relinquish the position of secretary general –Nairobi county to accord another person the opportunity to grow and lead,” Kwamboka said.
Kwamboka served as Mountain View MCA from 2013-2017.
She was elected on an ODM ticket before being nominated as a senator by the party in 2017-2022 where she rose to the position of deputy Minority whip in the Senate.
Her exit is a big blow to ODM in its tribal balancing.
She was the highest-ranking party member from the Kisii community in Nairobi after former Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati shifted his political base to Kisii where he was elected as the governor.
Kwamboka was known as a great grassroots mobiliser with networks across Nairobi which assisted in mobilising voters to vote for the party’s aspirants and the former premier in his presidential bids.
In the August polls, ODM crashed Kwamboka’s dream of being elected as the Nairobi Women representative.
This was after the party adopted the zoning system under the Azimio coalition by giving the incumbent Esther Passsaris a direct ticket instead of conducting party nominations.
Later, despite her loyalty and contribution to the party apart from her qualifications, she was not among the 16 women nominees shortlisted for nomination to the Senate.
However, Kwamboka’s bid to seek legal redress through the disputes tribunal failed after her case was thrown out.
She failed in her bid to access and scrutinise files of 16 candidates shortlisted by the ODM party for nomination to the Senate.
Kwamboka, whose name was not on the nomination list wanted the Tribunal to issue an order compelling ODM through its secretary general to produce before the Tribunal copies of the files of the candidates whose names were published by the electoral agency on July 27.
She sought the order to have information supplied to her to scrutinise the same, to verify if all those nominated were duly nominated by the law.
Her Lawyer Danstan Omari told the Tribunal that strangers from other political parties such as Wiper, Narc-Kenya and UDA have been shortlisted and that wife of a top party official is on the list.
Arguing that there was nepotism in the shortlisting of the candidates, Omari said the said wife is currently a nominated MCA.
“Kwamboka was left out because strangers and unmerited people were given the positions. She is seeking justice. Laws were flaunted to benefit cronies and relatives,” Omari said.
“There are people irregularly on the list. The party is scandalised by people given jobs to select candidates for the nomination but they failed. They should face serious disciplinary action.”
Following Kwamboka’s resignation from ODM, the Kisii community does not have an individual holding a top post in Nairobi.
Last month, members of the Kisii community were shortchanged in the bid for the Nairobi county assembly speaker’s position after ODM director of legal affairs Anthony Moturi BwÓrwochi was left out in favour of former county assembly deputy speaker Ken Ngondi, who served under the late Alex Ole Magelo between 2013-2017.
The Kisii community had been promised the Speaker’s position after their only high-ranking leader in the city Simba Arati left Nairobi politics.
In Nairobi, currently, the Luyha community has Senator Edwin Sifuna (elected), and several MPs including George Aladwa (Makadara), Tim Wanyonyi (Westlands) and Beatrice Elachi (Dagoreth North).
Luo community has several MPs including Peter Orero (Kibra), Babu Owino (Embakasi East), Felix Odiwuor aka Jalango (Langata), Anthony Oluoch (Mathare), TJ Kajwang (Ruaraka).
The Kikuyu community has the deputy governor position and MPs including Woman Rep Esther Passaris, Embakasi West MP Mark Mwenje, and Ronald Karauri of Kasarani while the Somali are represented by the Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan.
Julius Mawathe of Embakasi South represents the Kamba nation.