Intense lobbying in underway by various political, civil society and business players in Nakuru County to secure the position left vacant by the late Damaris Mbuthia.
The nominated TNA official died recently and the position is now attracting various people in a bid to fill the seat.
“Some want their relatives to become the next MCA while others are mainly pushing for their political cronies to get the position,” an informed source said.
However, an MCA told our reporter that if the proper procedure is followed, Mbuthia’s replacement will have first to be a woman as the deceased was nominated to the post to fulfil a constitutional gender balance requirement.
“Secondly, the person should be from Rongai constituency as that is another criteria that was used to nominate the late Mbuthia and thirdly, the successful nominee has to have officially applied to be nominated by TNA to the position at least three months before the last general elections,” said the MCA, who declined to be named arguing it would appear improper to discuss the subject so soon after the late Mbuthia was buried.
The MCA said that the third criterion may not be possible to fulfil as only one MCA, Emmah Mbugua, who represents people living with disabilities, was a TNA member who had applied for the position prior to the last general election.
“We would be happy to have a representative of people living with disabilities given the position but we doubt if it will happen. We are also lobbying for it to happen,” said Mbugua.