Lawmakers defy Ruto’s choice for EALA jobs – Business Daily
Parliament buildings in Nairobi. FILE PHOTO | NMG
MPs have defied President William Ruto’s pick for the Sh 1.4 million a month job at the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) by electing two candidates who did not receive State House backing.
Former MP Iringo Kubai and Mwangi Maina were elected to the regional parliament defying a line-up that Dr Ruto unveiled at a State House meeting with lawmakers.
Dr Ruto had on Wednesday chaired the Kenya Kwanza Parliamentary Group meeting, which endorsed five of the 15 candidates who eyed the lucrative job.
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Those endorsed for election at the State House meeting include former Senator Hassan Omar, former MPs Zipporah Kering (Nandi Woman Representative), David Sankok (Nominated), Falhada Dekow Iman (Nominated Senator) and Fred Muteti.
Dr Ruto asked the 10 losing candidates to pull out of the race and be rewarded with other government jobs.
But MPs dramatically backed the candidature of Mr Iringo and Mr Maina in the daylong voting exercise.
Mr Omar, Ms Kering and Mr Muteti were also elected to represent Kenya in EALA on Dr Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
The opposition Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition saw four candidates out of the 12 candidates elected to the EALA.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s daughter Winnie Odinga and former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka’s son Kennedy Musyoka were elected to the regional assembly.
MPs also elected businessman Suleiman Shabal and former MP Kanini Kega as the Azimio coalition representatives to EALA.
ALSO READ: UDA, ODM to take bulk of Eala slots for lawmakers
Kenya has nine representatives to the EALA who were elected by both Houses of Parliament last evening.
The EALA membership is expected to hit 63 with the recent entry of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
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