Kalonzo bolts out of Senate Speaker’s race
Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has officially withdrawn from the Senate Speaker's race position.
Kalonzo was to fly Azimio la Umoja -One Kenya coalition's flag in the race but Jeremiah Nyegeny, the Senate clerk has just announced to the Senators in the house that the Wiper leader had tendered his withdrawal letter.
“For the position of the Speaker of Senate, the following seven candidates were validly nominated at the close of the nomination period; Issac Aluochier, George Bush, Karuri Fredrick Muchiri, Kingi Amason Kefa, Kinyua Beatrice Gathomi, Kuria George Njoroge and Musyoka Stephen Kalonzo,
“A candidate may by written notice withdraw his or her candidature before the ballot is started. In this regard, I wish to draw the attention of the Senate to the fact that this morning, September 8, his excellency Stephen Musyoka withdrew his candidature for the position of Speaker of the Senate and his name will accordingly not be appearing on the ballot,” he stated.
Hon. Kalonzo Musyoka has withdrawn his candidature for the Office of the Speaker of the Senate. #SenateLive
— Senate of Kenya (@Senate_KE) September 8, 2022
He was set to contest for the position against former Kilifi governor Amason Kingi among others
Following the announcement by the Senate clerk, senators allied to the Azimio coalition staged a walkout after a failed attempt to have the election postponed.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and his Homabay counterpart Moses Kajwang' expressed that Azimio senators had concerns over the lack of integrity.
Both the National Assembly and the Senate invited applications for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker positions on Monday, September 5, 2022, following the gazettement of the first sitting by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
