Marende not worried about Speaker seat ‘auctions’

By Evelyn Kwamboka

NAIROBI, KENYA: As political parties engage in last minute deals to form coalitions, one man has kept a low profile despite the position he currently occupies being dangled in various talks.

National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende is not feeling insecure just yet, although he has about six weeks before he is out of the job.

Parliament is due for dissolution in mid-January. But until then, he is the rightful occupant of the third most powerful position in Government structure – deals cut during coalition talks not withstanding.

Despite the political pacts, Marende has cautioned those eyeing ‘his position’ that it won’t be an easy take. He says he intends to defend his position in the next Parliament that will have 347 members.

Accolades

Marende has been hailed as having ‘Solomonic wisdom’ especially when he put his feet down when the Grand Coalition partners were warring over who should be Leader of Government Business in Parliament.

Interestingly, among those tipped to succeed him are former Speaker Francis ole Kaparo. Marende beat the former long-serving Speaker during a tense and close vote in 2008.

Then he triumphed with the backing of ODM, which commanded a majority in the House against President Kibaki’s PNU that sponsored Kaparo. Kaparo is now allied to Eldoret North MP William Ruto’s United Republican Party, which plans a pre-election coalition agreement with Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta’s, The National Alliance.

Under the deal, it is reported that Kaparo is the designated Speaker. The position has been offered to numerous other people depending on the parties to the negotiations.

With parties expected to register their deals with the Registrar of Political Parties on Tuesday, Marende says those promised the positions should not bank on the deals yet.

Not under pressure

The man who began his career as a bank clerk before being admitted to the Bar in 1979 says it is wrong to use the seat as a bargaining chip as the Constitution was clear on who should be elected Speaker.

“Political parties bargaining over the seat would be wrong to allocate the seat on a coalition basis,” Marende told The Standard On Sunday.

Although he has not cast his lot with any of the political camps – at least not publicly – Marende is glad he is not under pressure to do so.

The new Constitution doesn’t require a Speaker to be elected from among the Members of Parliament.

 If that were the case, then he would have to align himself with the party to nominate him to contest the parliamentary seat. Therefore unlike in 2008, when he had to first secure election as representative of Emuhaya constituency, this time he can keep a measure of non-partisanship. It is unclear whether the lawyer will seek ODM support to retain his job.

“One does not need to be an MP to apply for the National Assembly Speaker’s position,” Marende said. In any case as serving Speaker he is expected to be a neutral arbiter.

Constitutional provision

The father of five who was first elected to Parliament in 2002 has had an eventful career as Speaker that one might tip him as the natural candidate for the position.

During his tenure, he has been showered with praise for rulings described as ‘Solomonic’ because of their intervention to calm the nation in the tumultuous times of the fractious Coalition Government.

At one point, as President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga feuded, he had become the most popular figure for offering compromises and stability. 

The politically charged disputes he helped diffuse include a tussle for the Leadership of House Business in Parliament.

But the coveted position of Speaker is now a carrot being dangled to satisfy various competing interests in the mad rush to secure State power.

It has featured in talks between TNA and URP, Wiper party and UDF, and now ODM and Wiper party are in talks.

The Constitution provides that the Speaker’s seat and that of his deputy would become vacant when a new Parliament meets after election.

 If that were the case, then he would have to align himself with the party to nominate him to contest the parliamentary seat. Therefore unlike in 2008, when he had to first secure election as representative of Emuhaya constituency, this time he can keep a measure of non-partisanship. It is unclear whether the lawyer will seek ODM support to retain his job.

“One does not need to be an MP to apply for the National Assembly Speaker’s position,” Marende said. In any case as serving Speaker he is expected to be a neutral arbiter.

Constitutional provision

The father of five who was first elected to Parliament in 2002 has had an eventful career as Speaker that one might tip him as the natural candidate for the position.

During his tenure, he has been showered with praise for rulings described as ‘Solomonic’ because of their intervention to calm the nation in the tumultuous times of the fractious Coalition Government.

At one point, as President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga feuded, he had become the most popular figure for offering compromises and stability. 

The politically charged disputes he helped diffuse include a tussle for the Leadership of House Business in Parliament.

But the coveted position of Speaker is now a carrot being dangled to satisfy various competing interests in the mad rush to secure State power.

It has featured in talks between TNA and URP, Wiper party and UDF, and now ODM and Wiper party are in talks.

The Constitution provides that the Speaker’s seat and that of his deputy would become vacant when a new Parliament meets after election.