Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu took the floor of the Kenyan Senate on Monday, September 29, and dropped a suggestion that quickly caught public attention: that musicians, athletes, and other creatives should be given nominated seats in parliament to advocate for their industries.
Speaking during a debate on how nominations are conducted, Nyamu argued that the current system fails to bring in voices from sectors that are routinely left out of legislative conversations.
Why does Karen Nyamu want celebrities in Parliament?
The nominated senator went as far as naming well-known Kenyan artists she felt deserved a seat at the table.
“Why don’t we have a young artiste, or even an older one, the ones who have served many years — Kina Nameless, Red Sun and the rest, and the women, Nadia Mukami and the rest — they come to this house and represent other artistes and put up legislation that they think will change their industry,” she said.
She extended the same argument to sports, citing footballers and netballers as groups with legitimate legislative grievances.
Her view was that these individuals could speak to their industries from the inside rather than lobbying from the outside.
Nyamu also used the moment to reflect candidly on her own journey as a nominated senator, pushing back on any perception that nomination is a shortcut.
She said the process is “cutthroat” and that she would sooner put her name on a ballot and lose than go through the nomination list again.
“Today you’re there, tomorrow you’re number four, tomorrow you’re number six or number seven,” she said, describing the anxiety-inducing nature of the rankings.
Beyond the creative industries argument, the senator raised a pointed concern about political parties repeatedly presenting the same women for affirmative action seats.
She argued this defeats the entire purpose of such provisions and called on parties to open the door to capable women who have not yet had a turn.
She also flagged a grey area in the law around replacement senators, questioning whether a senator who fills a vacancy and serves a partial term should be considered to have served a full term for future nomination purposes.
Nyamu closed by stating she was no longer looking for another nominated opportunity, saying she had gained the experience and confidence to contest directly against both men and women in a future election.
