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How the race for speaker positions is shaping up with Kalonzo ‘s entry


The contest for the two speaker positions is getting hotter with the entrance of Wiper Democratic leader Kalonzo Musyoka into the race.

The Wiper leader picked his application papers on Monday to apply for the Senate Speaker position.

He will now be seeking the position and is expected to be backed by Members of Parliament from the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition party.

Even so, the race will not be a walk in the park for the former Vice President.

He will face a candidate from the Kenya Kwanza Alliance of the President-elect Dr William Ruto.

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Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula, who has also picked his papers will represent the Kenya Kwanza in the race and has said that he is ready for the position.

By Monday, Kingi had not picked up the application papers from the Acting Clerk of the National Assembly, Ms Serah Kioko.

Apart from Kalonzo, and Senator Wetangula, the other five applicants who picked their papers, included Dr. Noah Winja, Jared Olouch Oundo, Isaac Alouch Polo, Farah Maalim, and Robert Gichimu Githinji.

Not a single woman candidate had applied for the position.

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The Dadaab MP Mr Maalim, who is the former National Assembly Deputy Speaker is now seeking to be the Speaker of the National Assembly, representing Azimio.

Mr Maalim won his Dadaab seat on the Wiper ticket and will battle it out with former Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi, who was fronted for the position by Kenya Kwanza during the campaigns.

During the campaigns, Dr Ruto promised the Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) leader Mr Kingi a National Assembly position after ditching Azimio for Kenya Kwanza.

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Former National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende who had been mentioned by the Azimio as the candidate for the same seat had not picked his papers by Monday.

In her statement, Ms Kioko asked the interested members of the public to ensure that they have applied for the positions by Wednesday.

“Persons interested in the two positions have until Wednesday 7th September at 12.30 pm to collect nomination papers and to return the completed nomination forms on the same day between 2.30 pm -8.30 pm,” she said.

Also, those interested in the deputy speaker positions in both Houses have been asked to apply ahead of the first sitting that has been convened for Thursday.

The outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta through a gazette notice called for the first sitting on Monday, which is supposed to be held not more than thirty days after the election.

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