The ruling Jubilee party has nominated Isaac Ngugi to the Senate as a replacement for the late Senator Victor Prengei who succumbed in a road accident in August.

Speaking on Thursday, September 23, Jubilee party Secretary General Raphael Tuju said the party had initially fronted Peter Cheruiyot,38, who did not meet the age requirement set by IEBC for the youth representative in the Senate.

“The Ogiek community wanted us to appoint Cheruiyot of which we did but unfortunately, he was locked out by IEBC due to age. The Commission requires that in that docket, we pick someone who is aged 35 years and below,” Tuju said.

Cheruiyot who served as Nakuru Jubilee branch secretary ahead of the 2017 General Election has since been appointed as a senior director at the Jubilee party.

Initially, there were calls for the party to replace Prengei with a female candidate, NCIC Vice-Chairperson Wambui Nyutu, but her name was dropped from the nomination list after consultations.

The Jubilee party SG said the law dictates that a woman is nominated to replace a woman and the case is similar when the legislator to be replaced is a man.

“This is just as we nominated Leshore to replace Mwaura but the matter being held by the courts. Once we are done, Leshore should be sworn in immediately,” Tuju said in an interview with a local daily.

The late Prengei who hailed from the Ogiek was heading towards Kabarak from Nakuru Town when the vehicle he was driving lost control, veered off the road and landed in a ditch.