Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina is now the front runner for the vacant position of Deputy Speaker in the Senate. The highly temperamental Narok senator is indeed a fast learner having come to realise that matters of the party are better sorted within the party and not in the courts. ODM party leader premier Raila Odinga has today confirmed he received an apology on behalf of the party from Ledama and asked the party machinery/leadership in the senate to reverse the decision to dewhip Ledama from Senate committees and therefore a clear path to deputy speaker position.
Hon Ledama on Tuesday morning paid a courtesy call on the ODM leader and agreed to withdraw a case he had filed against the party over the Senate County Public Accounts and Investment Committee (CPAIC) chairmanship row. Hon Ledama has since surrendered the Senate CPAIC chair seat back to the party which had tagged Kisii Senator Prof Samson Ongeri to take over.
“In return I’ve instructed the party to reverse the decision to dewhip the Senator,” the ODM leader said in a twitter post.
Senator Ledama and ODM party leadership in the senate led by Minority Leader James Orengo, were engaged in a war of words after his election as the CPAIC chair earlier this month.
The Narok senator’s win was however short lived as Senator Orengo wrote a protest letter expressing “dissatisfaction with the conduct and outcome of the elections.”
“We intend to withdraw our membership from the said committee until an appropriate resolution can be made,” said Orengo.
Ole Kina however dismissed Orengo and ODM’s attempt to kick him out saying the letter had “no basis and must be treated with contempt.”
He then proceeded to the High Court where Justice Weldon Korir granted a temporary order barring ODM from removing him from the seat.
Following the successful impeachment of Senate Deputy Speaker Prof Kithure Kindiki, there are speculation that senator Ledama is best suited for the position given his long penchant for DP Ruto and his tanga tanga team in the house. Ledama has been fighting Ruto over Mau forest, he is for eviction while DP Ruto is for encroachment. His difference with DP seem longterm and therefore his election to position of deputy speaker will be a raw and hard blow to William Ruto.
Hon Ledama is fearless and has some arrogance and self confidence, those are the qualities of a Ruto/Murkomen checkmate in the senate.
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