I'm not interested in Speaker post, says Wamalwa

Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa said Tuesday he is not interested in the National Assembly Speaker’s position.

Mr Wamalwa said he will not be contesting for the post when Parliament reopens but “ I will be ready to serve this country in any other capacity".

“For avoidance of any doubt, I can confirm that I have not applied for that position and I have not declared my candidature, and neither will I be seeking it,” he said New Ford Kenya party headquarters in Nairobi.

“But I wish to assure Kenyans that I will be available to serve this nation in any capacity.”

Mr Wamalwa was accompanied by MPs-elect under his party as well as those who lost out in the polls among them Housing minister Soita Shitanda who contested the Kakamega governor post.

Mr Wamalwa, the former Saboti MP, did not contest any seat in the recent General Election and reports indicated he was targeting the Speaker’s role.

But sources said the Jubilee coalition had already identified its nominees for the positions of Speaker of National Assembly and that of the Senate, meaning it would have been difficult for him to woo the many MPs attached to the alliance considering he supported the Amani coalition during the elections.

To be Speaker, one must not be an elected or nominated member of the National Assembly.

Mr Wamalwa, who is the New Ford Kenya leader, said the party had given him a go-ahead to negotiate a post-election deal with the Jubilee coalition but refused to elaborate the nature of the deal.

“These are matters that are on going in terms of consultations and dialogue and there are many areas that we will be prepared to engage both within Parliament and outside Parliament.”

“Consultations are on going. After the court case, we will be able to tell Kenyans what we will be doing together,” he said.

Jubilee whose members include The National Alliance, United Republican Party, Narc and the Republican Congress was declared victorious in the recent General Election. But Cord has contested the victory of Jubilee candidate Uhuru Kenyatta.

The case is before the Supreme Court.

On Saturday, the Amani coalition under the leadership of Musalia Mudavadi had indicated it had signed a post election deal with Jubilee.

On Monday, Mr Mudavadi denied claims he had entered an agreement with Jubilee.

“I want to clarify that we are yet to enter into any of the coalitions and when this is done we will make it public,” he told journalists in Nairobi.