Parliament the next battlefront as Speakers’ elections come up
A joint sitting of the National Assembly and Senate. The first sitting now makes Parliament the new battlefront for the fight between Azimio la Umoja One Kenya and Kenya Kwanza Alliance over the election of speakers and their deputies.
The decision by President Kenyatta to call MPs-elect for the first sitting now makes Parliament the new battlefront for the fight between Azimio la Umoja One Kenya and Kenya Kwanza Alliance over the election of speakers and their deputies.
Article 126 (2) of the Constitution provides that whenever a new House is elected, the President, by notice in the Gazette, shall appoint the place and date for the first sitting of the new House, which shall be not more than 30 days after the election.
Yesterday, President Kenyatta formally gazetted Thursday, September 8, as the first sitting of Parliament—the National Assembly and Senate—at Parliament buildings from 9am.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will, however, be required to gazette the senators-elect and the 20 nominated ones before the first sitting.
The commission has already gazetted 286 members of the National Assembly. The gazettement of the four who were elected in the recent delayed elections and the 12 nominated MPs is yet to happen.
First business
On the first sitting of the two Houses, the first business will be the swearing-in of the members who will then elect the speakers. Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula of Kenya Kwanza is expected to square it out with Mr Kenneth Marende of Azimio for the Speaker of the National Assembly position.
The Deputy Speaker position will see Dadaab MP Farah Maalim (Azimio) go against Uasin Gishu Woman Rep Gladys Shollei (Kenya Kwanza).
In the Senate, Kenya Kwanza is fronting former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar for the Speaker’s position. Azimio is yet to declare its candidate.
“As Kenya Kwanza, we’re more than confident that we will win all the positions for Speaker and deputy in the two Houses,” Mr Wetang’ula told the Nation Monday.
Already Senate Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye and National Assembly Acting Clerk Serah Kioko have placed adverts inviting applications from qualified Kenyans for the Speaker positions. The applicants have until tomorrow 2pm to submit their applications.
Application extended
Although the Standing Orders of the two Houses prescribe that the applications for the positions of Speaker should be in 48 hours ahead of the first sitting, the delay by President Kenyatta in issuing the notice for the first sitting saw the two clerks extend the application period by a day.
The leader of majority and majority whip positions are the preserve of the party or coalition with majority MPs or senators.
Azimio has a slim majority in the National Assembly, with 168 MPs against Kenya Kwanza’s 158, without the 12 nominated ones who are yet to be gazetted. In the Senate, Kenya Kwanza has 24 senators, Azimio has 22, and one is independent.
