Gladys Boss Shollei won the Deputy Speaker race, the last key one of the day, to deliver victory for President-elect William Ruto‘s Kenya Kwanza Alliance in Thursday’s key competitions for the highly coveted Speaker posts.
Ms Shollei won the race with 198 votes while her closest rival, Mr Farah Maalim, got 139 votes. While no candidate received the required number of votes from MPs, that is, two-thirds majority, Mr Maalim conceded defeat leading to Ms Shollei, a Kenya Kwanza candidate, being declared winner at about some minutes after 10pm Thursday.
Ms Shollei was then sworn in at about 10.30pm.
Wetang’ula, Kingi win
Before this, former Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula, a close ally of Dr Ruto, was declared House Speaker the same evening after Kenneth Marende conceded Thursday evening, making him the eighth Speaker of the House since independence.
At Senate, former Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi of Kenya Kwanza was sworn-in earlier today as the Senate Speaker after garnering 46 votes out of a possible 66 on the first round of voting. This came after Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka changed his mid and withdrew from the Senate Speaker race at the last minute. Mr Musyoka had been fronted by Raila Odinga’s Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Coalition for the Senate Speaker post.
Azimio Senators then led a walk-out in a failed bid to have the election postponed.
On his official Twitter handle, Dr Ruto took a victory lap while congratulating his allies for their wins.
With Ms Shollei sworn into office, MPs concluded the business of the day.
The Speaker will soon notify the legislators of the date and time of the opening of Parliament.
Induction of MPs will be from September 18-22.
Control of Parliament
The election of National Assembly and Senate Speakers was a key battlefront for Dr Ruto and Mr Odinga as the posts determine the control of the Houses, hence the aggressive mobilisation by both Azimio and Kenya Kwanza.
On Wednesday, President Uhuru Kenyatta and Mr Odinga had rallied Azimio lawmakers to ensure they clinch the Speakers’ positions. The President said Azimio’s unity of purpose would be tested today during the vote.
And in Karen, Dr Ruto told MPs affiliated to Kenya Kwanza to ensure the alliance’s candidates win to assure his administration’s agenda smooth sailing in Parliament.
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