Nyeri Town Member of Parliament, Hon. Duncan Maina Mathenge, has been elected unopposed as the Vice-Chairperson of the National Assembly Committee on Cohesion and Equal Opportunities.
The election, held at Parliament Buildings and presided over by Ms. Lucy Kimathi, Head of the General Purposes Department, saw Hon. Mathenge become the sole nominee for the position.
He replaces the late Hon. Charles Ong’ondo Were, the former Kasipul MP, who was tragically killed in April this year in a shooting incident near the City Mortuary roundabout.
Announcing the results, Ms. Kimathi confirmed that Hon. Mathenge was the only candidate to submit nomination papers, in accordance with Parliamentary procedure.
“Hon. Mathenge is the only candidate who returned his papers for the position of Vice-Chairperson. I therefore declare him duly elected,” said Ms. Kimathi.
In his acceptance speech, Hon. Mathenge expressed gratitude to the Committee Members for their trust and pledged to serve with dedication.
“I thank Members for the confidence they have shown in me. I take this responsibility seriously and will rely on your continued support as I discharge my duties,” he stated.
Committee Chairperson, Hon. Adan Yussuf Haji (Mandera West), led other Members in congratulating Hon. Mathenge, affirming that he was well suited for the role.
“Hon. Mathenge is not new to this Committee. He has served diligently and we are confident that he will meet, if not exceed, our expectations,” said Hon. Haji.
Nakuru County MP Hon. Liza Chelule hailed the unity within the Committee, noting that the unanimous decision to support Hon. Mathenge reflected their commitment to cohesion.
“For the sake of unity, Members agreed there was no need for a contest. Settling on Hon. Mathenge was a collective decision,” she said.
Baringo South MP Hon. Charles Kamuren also congratulated Hon. Mathenge, while paying tribute to the late Hon. Were.
“Today’s election brings back fresh memories of Hon. Were’s untimely death. As a gesture of respect, it would be fitting for the Committee to visit his family during future field activities in Nyanza,” he proposed.
Other Members who extended their congratulation messages included Hon. Dr. Joshua Oron, Hon. Dick Maungu, Hon. Agnes Pareyio and Hon. Oku Kaunya.
