Ruto camp burns the midnight oil ahead of House Speakers contest

President-elect William Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua conferr with Kenya Kwanza leaders at his Karen residence. [DPPS] The Kenya Kwanza Alliance (KKA) led by President-elect William Ruto is confident it will clinch the Speakers position in the National Assembly and Senate. The alliance had a Parliamentary Group meeting at the Deputy President's official residence in Karen, Nairobi, Wednesday, where they resolved to back outgoing Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang'ula as Speaker of the National Assembly and former Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi for Senate. Before the meeting, Wetang'ula resigned his senatorial position to qualify to seek the Speaker position. Garissa Township MP Aden Duale said Kenya Kwanza has 37 senators but in the absence of Wetang'ula who resigned, they will have 36 elected against 32 for President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga-led Azimio la Umoja One Kenya. "We will lobby the whole night and in the morning and the victory of the two Speakers will be resounding," Duale said. The Parliamentary Group meeting also agreed to support Uasin Gishu Woman Rep Gladys Shollei and Meru Senator Kathuri Murungi for the National Assembly and Senate deputy Speaker positions, respectively. The meeting chaired by the President-elect began at 9am and run up to 3pm. It resolved to have all the Kenya Kwanza elected members attend the Bicameral Parliament early in the morning for the vote that will begin immediately after they take the oath of office. The MPs are expected to be sworn in for a five-year term that will end in August 2027 before they go ahead to vote for the Speakers and their deputies. "We are confident of the numbers. We already have 191 MPs of the National Assembly elected and nominated and we have some Azimio MPs who have also indicated that they will join us. About 30 have indicated but we will confirm their numbers after the vote," said Duale. The Garissa Township MP-elect will be the overall agent, while Kikuyu MP-elect Kimani Ichung'wa and Elgeyo Marakwet Senator-elect Kipchumba Murkomen who are slated to be the Majority Leader for the National Assembly and Senate respectively, will be the chief agents assisted by Kericho Senator-elect Aaron Cheruiyot. President Kenyatta, in a notice in the Kenya Gazette published on Monday, summoned the first sittings of the two chambers at 9 am tomorrow, following the August 9 General Election. Clerk of the Senate, Jeremiah Nyegenye, and acting Clerk of the National Assembly Serah Kioko invited Kenyans interested in serving as Speaker and deputy Speaker of the two Houses to collect nomination papers from their respective offices. The Standing Orders of the two Houses provide that candidates who show interest in the two seats must pick and return their nomination papers to the respective clerks' offices at least 48 hours before the vote. Mr Nyegenye ordered staff to ensure the office stays open beyond normal hours to facilitate the process so that the greatest opportunity is provided to those interested in the seats. The office will open as early as 7 am and close at 8 pm. "Nomination papers together with curriculum vitae of each candidate and supporting documents should be returned to the Office of the Clerk of the Senate not later than 2:30 pm on Wednesday," he said. Moses Wetangula (right) and Gladys Boss Shollei at Parliament Buildings after presenting their papers on September 7, 2022. [Elvis Ogina, Standard] Kangundo MP-elect Fabian Muli and Tana River Senator-elect Danson Mungatana said they are confident of a clean sweep in the two Speaker positions, insisting the numbers were in their favour. "We have done our math and we will win all the Speaker and deputies seats. We are going for nothing less today," said Mr Muli. Mr Mungatana claimed Azimio was coming in as the underdogs in the race and will lose to the Kenya Kwanza. When the two Houses convene, the first order of business will be for the clerks to swear in the MPs-elect, followed by the election of the Speakers and deputy Speakers. During that time, the clerks will temporarily assume powers of the Speaker and, besides administering the oath, will answer questions that may arise. The deputy speakers will be elected from among members of the particular House. For the Senate, candidates who have picked nomination papers for either of the seats must return them accompanied by the names and signatures of two senators-elect with a declaration that the candidate is qualified to be elected as an MP in line with provisions of the Constitution and is willing to serve as speaker of either House. In the National Assembly, candidates must be endorsed by 20 MPs-elect with a similar declaration. Wetang'ula and Kingi are beneficiaries of the pre-election pact signed between Ford Kenya, ANC and UDA. Annexures were added that brought in Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) and other parties into Ruto's alliance. Azimio yesterday also endorsed the names of former Speaker Kenneth Marende and the Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka as the National Assembly and Senate Speaker candidates respectively. Their deputies will be former deputy Speaker and Lagdera MP-elect Farah Maalim and Kilifi Senator-elect Stewarts Madzayo for National assembly and Senate Speakers respectively. Kenya Kwanza has picked PAA's Kingi for Senate Speaker after outgoing Nominated Senator Isaac Mwaura and Hassan Omar who was UDA Mombasa governor candidate were prevailed upon by Ruto to drop their bid. [Additional reporting by Wainaina Ndung'u]

Ruto camp burns the midnight oil ahead of House Speakers contest

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