Drama as Senator Kajwang’ calls for suspension of speaker voting

Senator Kajwang called upon Senate clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye to halt the voting because of what he said was the exclusion of the Nominated Senators in the deputy speaker post's application process due to the timelines of their gazettement.

Nominated members of the Senate were gazetted on Wednesday, which Kajwang’ termed unfair because it locked them out of the deputy speaker race.

“The gazettement of the twenty nominated senators was done just yesterday and that was less than 48 hours to the election of the speaker which we are about to conduct. Furthermore, by the time the nominated senators were gazetted and brought to this house for induction, the period of application for the position of deputy speaker had already been closed,” the senator told the House clerk.

“This is extremely important because the twenty nominated senators represent the marginalised sections of this country: women, youth and persons with disability and not only on the (Azimio) side but also the other (Kenya Kwanza) side,” he said.

While insisting that his objection to the voting exercise was not “partisan”, Kajwang’ added: “The nominated senators had a right to apply for the position of deputy speaker… We cannot continue with the election until the rights of nominated members of the Senate have been respected and until they have been afforded an opportunity to put in the application.”

Kajwang’s point of order drew backlash from senators allied to the Kenya Kwanza Alliance camp, who dismissed it as a desperate attempt to block the speaker election.

Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale told off Kajwang’, saying: “If you want to suspend the sitting of this House, you know what to do. Go and do it and don’t hide in a standing order!”

The clerk was forced to cut short Khalwale, putting him on the spot for being “out of order”. He demanded that he withdraw his comments before proceeding.

“I profusely withdraw and wish to advance,” Khalwale went on amid murmurs in the House, “It would be wrong for us to attempt to suspend the Senate sitting when it is actually a special sitting. Let us proceed to elect the speaker…”

Narok Senator Ledama Olekina of the Azimio faction however supported Kajwang, arguing that his objection was a “very pertinent” point of concern regarding representation in the Senate.

“We talk about inclusivity and diversity in this country and I think in this House we must lead by example,” Olekina said.

“The Wiper Party has not presented a nominated senator and that is an issue that is holding us back. Why don’t we suspend this sitting, brief them and give them an opportunity?” he posed

Others in the contention include Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen who came into the scene to dismiss Kajwang’s objection. Murkomen argued that Thursday’s sitting could not be suspended because there was already an order that needed to be addressed.

In the end, clerk Nyegenye green-lit the voting exercise and ordered that the discussion on the election of the Senate deputy speaker be held after the speaker had already been elected.

“The objection raised by Senator Murkomen is correct and appropriate. The business of this house is canvassed by orders and at this time, the order given is the election of Speaker, who is to tell that we have come to the order of election of deputy speaker at all,” said Mr Nyegenye.

“I therefore rule that we proceed with the business of Order number 4. If there will be an objection to Order number 5, a determination will be made.”

Former Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi was eventually elected and sworn in as the new Senate Speaker after garnering all 46 votes cast.

This was after Azimio-allied members staged a walkout before the vote just moments after the clerk announced that their candidate Kalonzo Musyoka had withdrawn from the race.

They, however, blamed the walkout on what they termed failure to reach an agreement on how the elections should be held.

In the deputy seat, Meru Senator Murungi Kathuri of Kenya Kwanza was elected and sworn in after it emerged that he had no candidate challenging his bid.

His fellow contender Steward Madzayo withdrew his candidature on Thursday morning.