President William Ruto is expected to chair the fourth Kenya Kwanza Parliamentary Group (PG) meeting next week.
The meeting has been called to deliberate on the coalition’s East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) choices as well as firm up the Ruto administration’s legislative agenda.
Some of Dr Ruto’s allies have been lobbying for the five slots available to the coalition at the Arusha-based regional assembly.
All five seats will go to Dr Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party.
The elections for the next Eala lot will take place after the National Assembly concludes the vetting of Principal Secretary nominees.
The vetting of PS nominees will take place from Monday to Friday next week.
Sources said the Kenya Kwanza PG meeting will be held on Tuesday morning, two weeks after a similar meeting was held at which consensus was reached on who would take up leadership positions in various House committees.
“Before we decide on those who have expressed interest in the five slots we have for Eala, the boss has tentatively set Tuesday next week as the date of our PG to deliberate on the matter. During our last PG, where we agreed on various committees, he had promised to meet us again on the Eala matter,” said a member of President Ruto’s inner circle.
Nominations shortlist
The KKA has nominated 15 persons for election to Eala.
Those nominated include former Nandi woman rep Zipporah Kering, city businessperson Joel Nyambane, former URP secretary-general and Sports Kenya chairman Fredrick Muteti, Ms Rebecca Lowoiya, Mr Jonas Kuko, Mr Salim Busidy, former MP Kubai Iringo and former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar Hassan.
The others include Ms Falhadha Iman, Mr David Sankok, Ms Lilian Tomitom and former Balambala MP Abdikadir Aden – who will be seeking to defend his seat at Eala.
The President is likely to use the five available slots to reward some of his lieutenants who played a vital role in his electoral victory in August as well as to strike a regional balance.
The source told the Nation yesterday that the slots are likely to be taken up by persons from counties that missed out on the sharing of Cabinet Secretary or Principal Secretary positions.
The Nation learnt that those being fronted include Mr Omar, Ms Iman, one of either Ms Kering or Ms Tomitom, as well as Ms Lowoiya and Mr Muteti.
Although Mr Sankok comes from Narok County, which benefited from PS and CS positions, he stands a high chance as a representative of persons living with disabilities.
Mr Omar, who unsuccessfully vied for the Mombasa governorship on the UDA ticket, is also tipped to get a slot, given that his home county did not get any CS or PS position.
Initially, speculation had it that Mr Omar, who lost to ODM’s Abdulswamad Nassir in the race for the Mombasa governorship, would land the Solicitor-General’s position. Reports, however, suggest the post could go to someone from the Gusii region.
While it would be of political importance for President Ruto to push for the election of Ms Tomitom, who lost the poll battle for the West Pokot Woman Rep seat to the Kenya Union Party candidate, it is not lost on analysts that on October 19, while in Nandi Hills, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua promised Ms Kering a position at Eala.
Mr Sankok’s chances were heightened when he was endorsed by former parliamentary peers, with Mr Isaac Mwaura saying PWDs had been left out yet the law is clear that five per cent of appointments go to them. BY DAILY NATION