The burden is even bigger for Raila, whose daughter, nephew and first cousin are also on the list of 96 Azimio bigwigs battling for the lucrative slots.
The son of Wiper leader and Azimio principal Kalonzo Musyoka – Kennedy – is seeking a second term at the regional parliament.
The Star has established that Raila’s daughter, Winnie Odinga, his elder brother Oburu Oginga’s son Jaoko Odinga and Raila’s cousin George Midiwo are among those on the Azimio list.
The jobs could also stretch to the limits the unity in troubled Kanu, with party chairman Gideon Moi and secretary general Nick Salat tussling for the jobs.
Kenya Kwanza has 145 applicants seeking five slots.
Azimio has four slots – ODM two while both Wiper and Jubilee have a position each.
In the final list of applicants released by Parliament on Monday, former nominated MP and ex-Knut boss Wilson Sossion and former Mombasa senator Hassan Omar are among those seeking the jobs under Kenya Kwanza
Other big names are former Starehe MP Simon Mbugua, former nominated MP David Sankok, former senator Falhada Iman, journalist Joshua Sang, former Mbalambala MP Abdikadir Aden and former Vihiga MP Yusuf Chanzu.
Others are former Nyandarua senator Mwangi Githiomi, former Igembe South MP Cyprian Kubai, former West Pokot woman representative Lilian Tomition, former Elgeyo Marakwet woman rep Jane Jepkorir Kiptoo and businessman Don Bosco Gichana.
Other big names on Kenya Kwanza's list of applicants are former Uasin Gishu woman representative Rael Lelei, Charles Mwaniki, Sylvia Kamande, Simon Karuguru, John Mbugua, Hellen Makone and Simon Kalekem.
In Azimio, former attorney general Amos Wako, Mombasa businessman Suleiman Shahbal, former Kwale woman rep Zuleikha Juma, Wiper chairman Chirau Ali Mwakwere, former Baringo MP Gladwell Cheruiyot are among the applicants.
Ex-MPs Naomi Shaban (Taita Taveta), Kanini Kega (Kieni) and Jeremiah Kioni (Ndaragua) are topping the list of ex-President Uhuru Kenyatta's allies seeking the jobs.
Former MPs Asan Kamama (Tiaty), Jude Njom0 (Kiambu Town), Moses Ole Sakuda (Kajiado North) and ODM Treasurer Timothy Bosire are also on the list.
Others are Wajir MP Fatuma Gedi, former nominated senator Isaac Ngugi, former MP Boniface Gatobu, former Nacada boss and ex-Naivasha MP John Mututho, CAS Peter Odoyo, former Kanduyi MP Alfred Khang’ati.
Others in the Azimio list are former Sports PS Richard Ekai, ODM activist Abubakar Zein, Raila's chief agent Saitabao Kanchory and former nominated MP Jacqueline Oduol and former NCIC commissioner Joseph Naituli.
Also in the Azimio list of applicants are former Waiir South MP Abdullahi Diriye, former Ugenya MP Christopher Karan, former Migori woman rep Dennitah Ghati, former Ruaraka MP Elizabeth Ongoro and ex-MP Justus Kizito.
Among those who applied from other parties include Kevin Nyabuto, Hussein Abi, Osman Wako, Douglas Maraga, Philip Wasonga, Elizabeth Akinyi, Solomon Kiplimo, Arthur Ndung’u, Emmanuel Muangili and Martin Lunaho.
Others are Job Lagat, Keithi Bengula, Eunice Lelei and Robert Mutange.
Independent applicants include Juma Yusuf, Neema Abdikhadir, Bernard Otuko, Nelly Migongo, Daniel Murungu, Benjamin Munyao, Peter Mwangi and Hancy Abisai.
Others are Kevin Kipkirui, Benson Wanjohi, Linus Sanga, Silas Juma, Jackson Mumbu, Suleiman Warrakah and Pollyns Anyango.
Parliament’s joint Committee on Election of East Africa Legislative Assembly met on Monday for a pre-nomination briefing.
The panel communicated to respective political parties to nominate their preferred representatives and return the names to Parliament by Wednesday.
Each party will send back a maximum of three names for every position. This implies that for the nine slots, 27 names will be sent to the committee for vetting.
The committee will file a report and table it in the two Houses for debate and before a vote is taken.
“Wednesday's nomination exercise will pave the way for the election exercise scheduled on November 17 with both Houses voting through secret ballot to elect the nine representatives,” Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo said.
Maanzo is co-chairing the joint committee of the Senate and the National Assembly that will vet the nominee with Kipipiri MP Wanjiku Muhia.
On Monday, the meeting was presided over jointly by Clerk of the Senate Jeremiah Nyegenye and his counterpart from the National Assembly Samuel Njoroge.
Also in attendance were Leader of Majority in the National Assembly Kimani Ichung’wah, Minority leader Opiyo Wandayi and Senate Minority leader Stewart Madzayo.
Kenya is rushing against time to second its members to the East Africa Legislative Assembly ahead of the inauguration of the new session on December 17.
The EALA Elections Act, 2011 provides that a new assembly is elected within 90 days before the expiry of the term of the subsisting assembly.
This implies the country is already late in submitting names to the assembly.
Only Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is a new member of the regional bloc, are yet to submit the names of their representatives.
Each member state is required to send nine members.
“We want to clear with this business by November 17 because by November 20, members will be going out for the East African games,” Senate Majority leader Aaron Cheruiyot said.
Previously, parliamentary parties simply sent the names of their EALA nominees to Parliament for application.
“This has since changed. The court said the sitting in EALA must be elected. They must meet the provisions of the Elections Act. That is why we must vet them as Parliament. That is equivalent to an election,” Maanzo said.
The parliamentary political parties will share positions based on their numerical strength.
Out of the nine positions, President William Ruto’s UDA will get the highest number, followed by Raila Odinga’s ODM.
UDA is the single largest political party with 145 MPs in the National Assembly, followed by ODM which has 86 members and Jubilee is third with 28 elected MPs.
Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper Party has 26 MPs, UDM and ANC each have eight members, followed by Ford Kenya and Kanu, each with six elected MPs.
