By Geoffrey Mosoku and Peter Opiyo
Nairobi, Kenya: Jubilee alliance is banking on its numerical strength over CORD to have its say on the Speakers of the National Assembly and Senate when the official sittings of the two are convened on Thursday.
The two camps are headed separate ways today to strategise on how they will handle the election of the two.
Also to be elected are the Deputy Speakers for the two Houses of Parliament as well as the Chief Whips.
Both sides have exuded confidence they will get the numbers to clinch the seats.
According to a working document seen by The Standard, Jubilee estimates to have 191 members against CORD’s 143. The Amani alliance and other smaller parties have 24 to make it 349.
Jubilee, according to insiders plan to have Amani on their side and identify some MPs within CORDwhom they can sway to their camp to bolster their numbers to 233. However, with the political dealings that go on with a process like this, loyalties are bound to shift since the election will be carried out through secret ballot.
Yet to decide
CORD is banking on the candidature of the incumbent Kenneth Marende for Speaker of the National Assembly while Jubilee is yet to decide between former Mandera Central MP Abdikadir Mohamed and former Siakago MP Justin Muturi.
A record 15 people are seeking the post even as four others seek the position of Deputy Speaker. By last evening, all had picked their papers from the National Assembly Clerk’s office, with another 12 applying to be elected as Senate Speaker. Five Senators-elect are also aspiring for the position of Deputy Speaker of the Senate.
The aspirants are expected to hand in their applications today before the Clerk of the Senate Jeremiah Nyegenye and his National Assembly counterpart Justin Bundi to clear them for Thursday’s poll.
CORD MPs and Senators-elect will converge in Karen tomorrow at the Cooperative College for a retreat to strategise on how to win the seats.
Jubilee Coalition’s top brass led by President-elect Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy-elect William Ruto have summoned all their elected leaders to a two-day retreat at the Great Rift Valley Lodge in Naivasha from this evening.
At the same time the coalition has also embarked on wooing fringe political parties to their side in the tussle for numerical superiority in Parliament. Keen to win the Speakers’ and Deputy Speakers’ posts in the Senate and the National Assembly, the Coalition inked another deal with New Ford Kenya to enhance its numbers in Parliament.
Deputy President-elect William Ruto said the retreat would come up with a list of preferred candidates for various positions in Parliament.
“We will be going for a retreat to be able to craft a working team that will spearhead the leadership in Parliament,” said Ruto.
New Ford Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa said talks have been ongoing between his party and Jubilee saying he was happy the partnership was formalised.
He said the move is aimed at bringing unity in the country. The signing of the deal was witnessed by six MP-elects from New Ford Kenya and officials from Jubilee.
Sealed deal
URP Chairman Francis ole Kaparo, TNA’s Johnson Sakaja and New Ford Kenya Secretary General Benjamin Muema appended their signatures to the deal. New Ford Kenya MPs-elect present were David Were (Matungu), Moses Maendeleo (Malava), Boniface Otsiula (Bumula), Daniel Sitati (Webuye West), Janet Nangabo (Trans Nzoia Women Rep) and Reginalda Wanyonyi (Bungoma Women Rep).
Sakaja said the partnership was aimed at forming an all-inclusive government while Kaparo assured the new partner that the Coalition will treat it with respect.
The move would see Jubilee Coalition have more than 190 members in the National Assembly; a move Ruto said would give the Coalition an advantage to control Parliament, saying they are focused on forming an all-inclusive government.
“We are going out of our way to create a government that is all-inclusive so that together we can build a united nation,” said Ruto.
Regional balance and political party interests will be a factor as Jubilee Alliance heads to Naivasha to plot on how to avoid a second round contest in the election of Speaker.
Two-thirds
The winner of the Speaker’s position must garner at least two-thirds of the 349 votes or 233 to be declared winner. If no one gets the votes, then the first two will square out in round two.
“It is true that we are going for a retreat on Tuesday where a number of issues will be discussed. At the end of it we will take a common stand on issues relating to Senate and Parliamentary business,” Mr Charles Keter, the Kericho Senator elect said.
In the Senate, the document shows that Jubilee has 34 members against Cord’s 27, with Amani having 6 seats. Jubilee is seeking Amani’s partnership to get the Senate seat.
“We will have to agree on how to share the available seats. For instance if Justin Muturi gets the Speaker, then Mt. Kenya East interests will be catered and thus Kiraitu Murungi and Kithiki Kindure will forfeit their quest for Senate Majority Leader,” Maara MP-elect Kareke Mbiuki said.
Mbiuki said the same formula would apply to North Eastern where Garissa Township MP-elect of URP Aden Duale is destined for House Majority leader.
“If Duale gets the backing of the Alliance for the seat, then others from the region who seek other seats will miss out,” he added.
Uhuru and Ruto are said to have prevailed upon former MPs Danson Mungatana and Samuel Poghisio to drop out of the race in favour of the two respectively. Both Mungatana and Poghisio have not picked application forms.
The Jubilee team will arrive in Naivasha on Tuesday evening and spend two days before departing on Thursday morning in a convoy of buses straight to Parliament for swearing in.
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