Kamar elected unopposed as Senate Deputy Speaker
Hillary Mageka @hillarymageka
Uasin Gishu Senator Margaret Kamar has been elected unopposed as Senate Deputy Speaker.
This after all the four contestants threw in the towel, leaving her as the only candidate.
They included Isaac Mwaura (Nominated – Jubilee), Judith Pareno (Nominated – ODM), Steward Madzayo (Kilifi – ODM) and Charles Kibiru (Kirinyaga – Independent).
“This leaves Sen. (Prof.) Margaret Jepkoech Kamar, MP as the only candidate for election to the Office of the Deputy Speaker,” Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka announced.
“Accordingly, I hereby declare Sen. (Prof.) Margaret Jepkoech Kamar, MP to be duly elected as Deputy Speaker of the Senate,” Lusaka said.
Kamar (above) succeeds Tharaka Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki who was kicked out by a majority vote last month.
People Daily has learnt that on Saturday, ODM leader Raila Odinga hosted the Senate leadership at his Capitol Hill offices and asked them to lobby other candidates to withdraw from the race and instead support Kamar.
Those at the meeting included Majority Leader Samuel Poghisio, James Orengo (Minority Leader), Irungu Kang’ata (Majority Whip), Fatuma Dullo (Deputy Majority Leader) and Beatrice Kwamboka (Deputy Minority Whip).
Appease Rift
Raila’s intervention prompted Monday’s withdrawal of Kirinyaga Senator Charles Kibiru and Kilifi’s Stewart Madzayo from the race as it was the case for nominated senators Judith Pareno and Isaac Mwaura.
A section of Jubilee senators had last week settled on Kibiru to take over the Deputy Speaker’s seat but Raila prevailed on the Kirinyaga Senator to step down on account that the Mt Kenya region is represented by Senate Majority Whip Irungu Kang’ata.
Rallying his troops in the House to support Kamar, Raila and his Handshake partner, President Uhuru Kenyatta, want to appease North Rift region in the wake of the removal of Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen as Majority Leader.
“Congratulations to the new Deputy Speaker of the Senate Prof. Margaret Kamar. A well merited win owing to her experience, education and cross political aisle working ability,” Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi Wandayi, who is the ODM director Of Operations, said in his congratulatory message.
