The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has defended the nomination of Kipchumba Harold Kimuge as a Member of Parliament, replacing former ODM-nominated MP John Mbadi who recently joined the Cabinet.
Kimuge, who was sworn in on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, was appointed following a Gazette Notice published by the IEBC on July 22. His nomination had drawn criticism from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), which questioned the legality and procedure of his selection.
In response, IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon issued a statement clarifying that the process followed was lawful and in line with both the Constitution and electoral laws.
“The Orange Democratic Movement has publicly expressed concerns regarding the commission’s decision to re-allocate the party list seat vacated by John Mbadi, claiming that the process was neither procedural nor lawful. Respectfully, this is not accurate,” Ethekon said.
He explained that the party list used to determine Kimuge’s nomination was submitted by ODM on July 23, 2022, published in the newspaper on July 27, 2022, and uploaded on the commission’s website for public access.
Ethekon cited Section 37 of the Elections Act and Regulation 56B of the Election (General) Regulations, 2012, which guide the replacement of party list nominees. The law requires that any vacant party list seat be filled by the next eligible nominee on the original list, taking into account gender and priority.
“In this case, the nominee who qualified under the law was Harold Kimuge Kipchumba, who is of the same gender as Mbadi and was next in line on the submitted list,” said the IEBC Chair.
To reinforce transparency, the commission also attached a redacted version of the relevant section of the ODM party list, in line with the Data Protection Act.
“The commission’s decision in this matter was fully compliant with constitutional principles and statutory provisions,” Ethekon added.
Kipchumba Harold Kimuge, 61, hails from Baringo County and is a long-time member of ODM, having joined the party in 2012. He previously served as a nominated Senator in 2013 and is widely recognized for his advocacy work in disability rights and polio immunization. He holds a master’s degree in local governance and leadership.
His appointment is expected to boost the representation of persons living with disabilities and support inclusive policy formulation in the 13th Parliament.
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