Omanga, Mwaura among 6 senators seeking to replace Kindiki as Deputy Speaker

Six senators are in the race for the Senate Deputy Speaker’s slot, left vacant after Prof. Kithure Kindiki’s ouster through an impeachment process last Friday.

Those who beat the deadline to pick nomination forms by 3pm on Thursday are Nominated Senators Millicent Omanga, Isaac Mwaura and Kirinyaga Senator Charles Kibiru.

The other three in the race to succeed Kindiki are Uasin Gishu Senator Prof. Margaret Kamar, Kilifi’s Stewart Madzayo and Nominated Senator Judith Pareno.

To be eligible to contest in the Tuesday, contest, each of the six applicants must by 3pm Friday, May 29, return their nominated forms, backed by a proposer and a seconder.

To clinch the deputy speaker’s slot in the first round, a contestant must garner at least two thirds of the votes, that is, 45 out of 67 votes.

If there will be no outright winner in the first round of voting, the top two contestants will square it out in the second round of voting, with the winner requiring a simple majority vote.

54 Senators voted out Deputy Speaker Prof. Kithure Kindiki over allegations of insubordination with only seven Senators voting against the motion.

Kindiki is among Jubilee Senators allied to Deputy President William Ruto who have been dewhipped by the party after they failed to attend a parliamentary group meeting convened by President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House.

In the motion to remove him, Kindiki was accused of among other things conspiring with ex- Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen to rubbish President Kenyatta’s deed of transfer of functions of Nairobi County government to the national government for the sake of the people of Nairobi.

President Kenyatta’s allies also accused the Tharaka Nithi Senator of mobilizing Jubilee senators against the ‘wishes of the party’.