President-elect William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza and Raila Odinga’s Azimio will go on separate retreats this weekend to decide parliamentary leadership.
Jostling for top jobs of majority leaders will be fierce.
The Star has established Ruto will chair a Kenya Kwanza elected and nominated leaders forum in Naivasha to agree on who will lead the camp in the two Houses of Parliament.
The meeting tentatively has been slated for Friday and will be attended by high-ranking KK alliance leaders including Prime Cabinet Secretary-designate Musalia Mudavadi.
New National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula and his Senate counterpart Amason Kingi are expected to attend as the government consolidates its leadership in the legislature.
“This issue is dicey because some people want to harvest more than what they invested. But from our last meeting in Karen, the boss said we suspend the issue for now until the retreat,” a UDA lawmaker disclosed. He spoke on condition of anonymity because the issue is dicey.
In the National Assembly, on paper Azimio has the majority of 167 MPs against Kenya Kwanza’s 160 lawmakers, exclusive of independent MPs.
In the Senate, Kenya Kwanza has 33 senators and Azimio 33, with one independent senator. This was after Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang'ula resigned to become the House speaker.
Azimio has also planned a similar meeting — the location is undisclosed so far —to ratify names proposed by a select team to occupy powerful, and lucrative, the lucrative positions.
“The names that are on the table will be confirmed (at the retreat). I am heading to the meeting where we are going to finalise the list,” Jubilee secretary general Jeremiah Kioni said.
Wiper’s Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua, whose party is affiliated to Azimio, confirmed Kioni.
“We will be retreating this week as a coalition. During the retreat, those issues will be canvassed and a decision is taken,” Wambua said. He said the venue had not been determined.
The coalitions will be seeking the consensus of their members on Majority and Minority leaders and their deputies in the National Assembly and Senate.
Also to be decided are Majority and Minority Whips and their deputies, as well as the chairperson and vice chairpersons of committees of the two Houses of Parliament.
The retreats will also discuss and agree on placement of members to the leadership of parliamentary committees and the powerful Parliamentary Service Commission.
Sources indicate the distribution of the positions is a delicate balancing act for the two leaders, thus, the need for a retreat to avert any fallout.
In the Senate, Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen and his Laikipia counterpart John Kinyua are seen as the favourites for the Majority leader position.
However, Murkomen could cede ground following reports he is headed to the Executive as a Cabinet secretary.
Kinyua is the only senator who was re-elected from the larger Mt Kenya region, which voted almost to a man (and woman) for Ruto in the August 9 general election.
“In terms of seniority and experience in the Senate, I am up there. So, if that is something to be considered, then I am qualified,” Kinyua said.
However, there are reports Ruto wants Murkomen to join him in the Executive as a Cabinet secretary. His future will be decided during the retreat.
“For now, Murkomen is leading but if it is decided that he should resign to join the Cabinet, then it (race for Senate Majority leader) will be wide open,” a legislator said.
For the Majority Whip's post, Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, Kericho’s Aaron Cheruiyot and Steve Lelegwe of Samburu have expressed interest.
The Kenya Kwanza retreat will also agree on senators to chair influential panels including Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations committee, the Finance and Budget committee, the Trade and Tourism committee among others.
As lobbying has hit a fever pitch within within the alliance, it has emerged Kenya Kwanza has settled on Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung'wah as the National Assembly Majority leader.
South Mugirango MP Sylvanus Osoro is tipped to become the new Majority Whip in the National Assembly.
In Azimio, Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang’ and his Kilifi counterpart Steward Madzayo are leading the pack in the battle for Minority leader.
The two both are allies are Raila and are serving their third terms as senators.
For the Whip's post, Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo and Nairobi’s Edwin Sifuna are eyeing the position.
The two are serving their first term as senators though Maanzo was a member of the National Assembly in the last two parliaments.
Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga is set to sit in the powerful and lucrative Parliamentary Service Commission.
In the National Assembly, ODM chairman MP John Mbadi is said to be the frontrunner for the coveted Majority position.
Mbadi, apart from serving as the Minority leader in the 12th Parliament is also praised for sacrificing his Homa Bay governor's bid when prevailed upon by the Party Leader.
Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi is also said to have expressed interest in becoming Majority Leader.
The speaker will, however. give a ruling on which side between Kenya Kwanza and Azimio is the majority.
(Edited by V. Graham)
