Change of Guard at the helm of the National Assembly
Long serving legislator and former Cabinet Minister
Hon. Moses Masika Wetang’ula is the new Speaker of the National Assembly.
Hon. Wetang’ula, who was running for the position against the Speaker of the National Assembly in the 10th Parliament, Hon. Kenneth Marende, sailed through in the first round after Hon. Marende withdrew from the race, just as the second round was about to commence. Hon. Wetangula had garnered 215 votes against Hon. Marende’s 130, in the first round.
Hon Wetang’ula brings to the National Assembly a great wealth of experience both as a legislator and a long serving member of the Cabinet. He first joined Parliament as a Nominated MP in 1993. He was later elected Sirisia MP for three consecutive terms, before he was elected the first Senator of Bungoma County in 2013. He retained his Senate seat in 2017, and had just been elected for the same position in the just concluded general elections before he quit to run for election as Speaker.
During his stint in Parliament, before the promulgation of the new Constitution, he also served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2008 to 2010 and from 2011 to 2012, and as Minister for Trade from 2012 to 2013.
In the race for the position of the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Gladys Jepkosgei Boss Shollei beat Daadab legislator, Hon. Farah Maalim to clinch the seat after garnering 198 votes against 139 for Hon. Farah. Hon. Farah however withdrew from the race saving the House a second round of voting.
For both positions, a candidate requires two-thirds in the first round and a simple majority in the second round where only the two top contenders are eligible to run.
Hon. Shollei joined the August House in 2017 after she was elected as the County Woman Representative for Uasin Gishu county. She retained her seat in the recent polls. Deputy Speaker Shollei becomes the second Woman Deputy Speaker in the history of the National Assembly after the late Dr. Hon. Joyce Laboso. A seasoned lawyer and former chief registrar of the judiciary, she brings a varied experiences in public service into the leadership of the National Assembly.
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