The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Youth League has publicly opposed the nomination of Harold Kipchumba as a replacement for John Mbadi in the National Assembly as a nominated MP.
The objection follows Kipchumba’s gazettement by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on July 24, 2025, after Mbadi’s appointment to President William Ruto’s Cabinet as Treasury Cabinet Secretary.
ODM Youth League National President John Ketora and his deputy Martin Muthusi are leading the protest against Kipchumba’s nomination.
They argue that the IEBC made an error by appointing Kipchumba under the Persons with Disabilities category instead of selecting Ketora, whom they claim was next in line under the “Workers” category on the party list.
“We cannot replace a worker with a person with disability category because they already had their slot,” said Muthusi, asserting that Ketora, as the second name on the workers’ list, was the appropriate replacement.
The Youth League leaders urged the IEBC to review what they termed an anomaly and allocate the seat to Ketora in line with the party’s list.
Another party official, David Kantai, criticised the IEBC’s decision and called for the nomination to be rescinded.
Ketora, while distancing the ODM leadership from the matter, blamed the IEBC for what he described as an injustice to the party.
“I will not expose my secret card, but we have reinforced every corner to ensure we handle this matter expeditiously,” he said.
A letter from ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna to the IEBC, dated July 25, 2025, confirmed the vacancy created by Mbadi’s Cabinet appointment on August 8, 2024, and requested that the seat be allocated to Ketora.
The letter cited relevant constitutional and electoral provisions, referencing the workers category and gender considerations.
The IEBC has defended its decision, stating that the replacement was carried out in accordance with legal provisions.
Kipchumba, a disability rights advocate and polio survivor, was nominated under the PLWD category, a move viewed by some as a significant step for disability representation in Parliament.
However, the nomination has stirred discontent within ODM, particularly among youth members pushing for greater youth inclusion.
The ODM Youth League has pledged to explore legal and political channels to challenge the decision.
