Former House Speaker Kenneth Marende and Bungoma Senator-elect Moses Wetangula are among twenty one aspirants who have submitted applications for the post of Speaker of the National Assembly.
The list issued by the Assembly showed Agano Party leader David Mwaure who finished fourth in the August 9 presidential race has also joined the scramble for Speaker’s job.
Marende who served as the speaker of the 10th parliament is seeking to make a comeback.
Although Wetangula is deemed as the favorite candidate to clinch the position due to Kenya Kwanza’s numbers in the House, his candidature has sparked questions.
He has to resign as Bungoma Senator, to be eligible.
Uasin Gishu County Woman Representative Glady Shollei, Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo, and Homa Bay Town’s Peter Kaluma are among legislators who have expressed interest for the position of Deputy Speaker.
Others include Moses Kirima of Central Imenti and Farah Yussuf Mohamed of Wajir West.
The 349 members of the National Assembly and the 67 Senators convene for the first sitting of the 13th Parliament tomorrow to elect their respective Speakers after taking the oath of office.
The aspirants were last evening scrambling at Parliament to secure the mandatory 20 signatures of elected MPs to back their bid.
To clinch the speaker’s job in the first round of voting, one must garner at least 233 votes in a house of 349.
If there will be no round one winner, the first two contestants will face each other in a run-off, that requires a simple majority to win.
