Kimuge replaces Mbadi in Parliament, vows to fight for disability rights

Kipchumba Harold Kimuge sworn in as a nominated Member of the National Assembly on July 29, 2025 [PBU]

Kipchumba Harold Kimuge has been sworn in as a nominated Member of the  National Assembly, replacing Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning John Mbadi.

Kimuge took the oath of office on Monday, joining the 13th Parliament under the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

His nomination fills the seat left vacant after Mbadi’s appointment by President William Ruto in July 2024.

Mbadi assumed his Cabinet role on August 8, 2024.

Kimuge’s entry is part of a broader reallocation of 10 special seats prompted by deaths, resignations and corrections to party list submissions from the 2022 General Election.

The appointments were announced in a Gazette Notice issued on Tuesday, July 22, by Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson Erustus Ethekon.

Aged 61 and hailing from Baringo County, Kimuge brings experience in local governance and disability advocacy, having served as a polio immunisation ambassador.

He previously held a brief term as a nominated senator from March to October 2013 and has been an ODM member since 2012.

Kimuge said his return to Parliament reflects ODM’s ongoing push for equity and inclusion.

“This is not just a personal milestone but a victory for all Kenyans living with disabilities. I intend to be their voice in Parliament and push for meaningful change,” noted Kimuge.

He pledged allegiance to the Constitution during the swearing-in ceremony.

“I solemnly swear to obey, respect, uphold, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Republic of Kenya. I will faithfully and conscientiously discharge my duties as a Member of Parliament,” added Kimuge.

Observers see his nomination as reinforcing ODM’s public commitment to inclusive representation, especially at a time when Parliament is debating reforms on social protection and constitutional change.