Azimio fronts Marende, Kalonzo for Parliament and Senate Speakers
Azimio la Umoja – One Kenya Coalition has settled on their two candidates for Speakers of the National Assembly and the Senate.
During a Parliamentary Group meeting at Maasai Lodge on Wednesday, the coalition agreed to front former National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende for Speaker of the National Assembly and Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka for Speaker of the Senate.
Mr Marende will now face off with Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula for the seat under the Kenya Kwanza Alliance. Senator Wetang’ula is expected to resign from his position to qualify for the speaker seat.
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President Uhuru Kenyatta attended the Azimio meeting, hours after visiting the coalition’s leader Raila Odinga at the latter’s Karen home.
The president was accompanied by his son Jomo when he visited Mr Odinga and his family.
On the other hand, Mr Musyoka will face stiff competition from former Kilifi County Governor Amazon Kingi who is being fronted by the Kenya Kwanza team.
Mr Kingi had earlier been assured of the position during the coalition agreement with the Kenya Kwanza team after ditching Azimio coalition.
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On Wednesday morning, former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar announced his withdrawal from Senate Speaker candidature following an agreement with the coalition leadership.
The battle of numbers by the two coalitions is expected to play a major factor in during the voting process for the Speakers and their deputies.
The Jubilee Party held both positions in the last Parliament with Justin Muturi as the National Assembly Speaker and Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka was the Senate Speaker.
Both the alliances are putting their house in order a day before the first sitting of Parliament, which was gazetted by President Kenyatta last week.
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