Jostling for Nakuru Speaker seat intensifies ahead of assembly opening
Nakuru County Assembly in a past session on August 10, 2021. The number of candidates eyeing the Nakuru country speaker position has increased after a losing senator candidate Crispus Wathimba declared his interest.
What you need to know:
- Mr Crispus Wathimba who lost in the senate elections has declared his interest in the Nakuru country speaker position.
- As the lobbying intensifies the contest is shaping up between the old guards and youthful MCAs who also fighting for the House leadership.
- The new look assembly has 39 UDA ward representatives majority of whom are youthful and are pushing for fresh blood as a new Speaker.
The number of candidates eyeing the Nakuru country speaker position has increased after a losing senator candidate Crispus Wathimba declared his interest.
Mr Wathimba lost in the senate elections when he garnered 2,638 votes in an election that was won by Tabitha Karanja who got 442,864.
While declaring his candidature, Mr Wathimba said he was the right person to be the next Speaker of the third Assembly since the advent of devolution.
"I'm a resident of Nakuru and I know what ails the assembly leadership. The past two devolved systems have failed to offer good leadership. I'm ready to fix the problem," said Mr Wathimba.
Other aspirants who have shown keen interest in the seat include former Kuresoi MP James Koskey and former Biashara MCA in Naivasha sub-county Joel Karuri.
Mr Karuri lost to Elijah Kamau Chege of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in the August 9 polls.
Other candidates eyeing the seat include former Executive Committee Member Anne Njenga and youthful businessman Martin Kagai.
Old guards vs Youth
As the lobbying intensifies the contest is shaping up between the old guards and youthful MCAs who also fighting for the House leadership.
The new look assembly has 39 UDA ward representatives majority of whom are youthful and are pushing for fresh blood as a new Speaker.
The voting for the Speaker seat is expected to be fierce as former ruling party Jubilee has six MCAs, Safina has one MCA, ODM two and seven MCAs were elected as Independent candidates.
UDA will have a sizable number of nominated MCAs while Jubilee will have at least two nominated MCAs while the other nominated MCAs will come from minority groups and the disabled.
"We want a Speaker who has no baggage and the county executive should not push to us their preferred candidate. We are learned and we know the kind of Speaker we want," said a UDA MCA from Naivasha who declined to be quoted for fear of reprisal from the UDA and executive.
Apart from the coveted seat, the assembly will also elect the House leadership including the Deputy Speaker, Majority Leader, Minority Leader and their deputies, Chief Whip Majority and Chief Whip Minority and their deputies and committee chairpersons.
