Serah Kioko, the acting clerk of the National Assembly, will make history as the first woman in Kenya to swear in the 349 members of the National Assembly during the first sitting of the 13th Parliament today, September 8.
This is after the Parliamentary Service Commission picked her to replace outgoing clerk Michael Sialai who retired on July 31.
Before being promoted, she was the Deputy Clerk, in charge of overseeing and supervising chamber duties and assisting the Clerk in providing advice to the Speaker. She is a parliamentary officer with 30 years of experience.
She also served as the Senate’s first Director of Legislative and Procedural Services, where she was instrumental in establishing and coordinating Senate operations as the head of the core directorate.
She was also the Senate’s first Director for Legislative and Procedural Services, in charge of the core directorate and instrumental in organizing and establishing Senate operations.
The House Clerk is the administrative and procedural head of the National Assembly, overseeing the House’s day-to-day operations.
The supreme law delegated sole power to the Clerk of the National Assembly to administer the oath of office to the 349 newly elected MPs, who will then elect a new Speaker.
After taking the oath of office, members of the National Assembly convene for the first sitting of the 13th Parliament to elect their respective Speakers.
Moses Wetangula, Senator-Elect of Bungoma, was forced to resign after a Parliamentary Group meeting chaired by President-Elect William Ruto backed his bid to become Speaker of the National Assembly.
He will now compete against Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya candidate Kenneth Marende, who is seeking to reclaim the position he held between 2008 and 2013.
Gladys Shollei, an Uasin Gishu County Woman Rep, will compete for the position of Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly with Daadab MP Farah Maalim.
To be elected Speaker of the National Assembly, one must have the support of two-thirds of the 349 MPs (233).
