1963 senators to attend opening

The surviving six members of Kenya’s independence Senate have been invited to the opening ceremony of the new House created by the Constitution adopted in August 2010.

Clerk of the Senate Jeremiah Nyegenye has sent out invitations to the six; Mr Philip Toikam Lemein from Narok, Mr M. A. Msallam from Lamu, Mr Julius Muthamia from Meru, Mr William Rotich from Baringo, Mr G.N. Kalya from Nandi and Mr Nathan Munoko from Bungoma.

All but Mr Munoko were certain they would attend Thursday morning’s ceremony at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, where the 67-member House will be meeting until its chambers at Parliament Buildings are complete.

Mr Nyegenye added that the senators-elect have been invited for a briefing this morning in Nairobi.

The ceremony will take place at KICCs amphitheatre. The first sitting of the Senate and the National Assembly will likely be dominated by the elections of the speakers and deputy speakers, which are expected to become an extension of the contest between the two main coalitions.

The Speakers are considered important because they are the political heads of the Houses they lead and the Legislature, one of the three arms of government.
By Sunday, six candidates had picked the nomination forms for Senate Speaker. They are old hands Ekwee Ethuro, Francis ole Kaparo and Farah Maalim plus outsiders Eric Omondi, Josephat Orangi and Jane Mwihaki Githaiga.

For Deputy Speaker, five candidates have picked the forms. They are Kembi Gitura (Muranga Senator-elect), Peter ole Mositet (Kajiado Senator-elect), Wilfred Machage (Migori Senator-elect) and Martha Wangari (UDF Nominated Senator-elect).

Seven new faces in the political scene have expressed interest in the Speaker of the National Assembly post, creating a crowded field of eight for the coveted seat.

The seven are Mr Migudo Winja, Mr Machana Ontiri, Mr Harrison Wangoro, Mr Jacob Kithinji, Mr Amos Otieno, Mr Alex Otunga and Mr Koech Cosmas.

Going by the game of numbers, the contest is expected to be between Mr Justin Muturi, former Mandera Central MP Mr Abdikadir Mohamed and outgoing speaker Kenneth Marende.

A mix-up in the graphic on the front page of the Sunday Nation wrongly suggested, that the three want to become Speaker of the Senate.

For Deputy Speaker, Dr Joyce Laboso and Mr Daniel Maanzo have expressed interest.

Jubilee will decide at their party caucus in Naivasha tomorrow who to give the position of Majority Leader in both Houses.

Those in the run for Senate Majority Leader include Paul Wamatangi (Senator-elect, Kiambu), Prof Kithure Kindiki (Senator-elect, Tharaka Nithi), Kiraitu Murungi (Senator-elect, Meru) and Mutahi Kagwe (Senator-elect, Nyeri). Garissa township MP-elect Aden Duale (URP) is eyeing the Majority Leader seat in the National Assembly.

Cord will have a similar strategy meeting at a Nairobi hotel.