The National Super Alliance (NASA) has picked Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala as the Deputy Minority leader in the Senate.
The post fell vacant after Siaya Senator James Orengo was elected as the Minority leader.
This followed a successful ouster move that saw Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula who had been serving as the Senate Minority leader bundled out.
[caption caption="Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala "]
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Malala's appointment is seen as a move to appease the Western Kenya voter block from where Wetangula hails.
The selection of Malala was carried out on Tuesday morning by the opposition senators in a meeting overseen by Senate Minority Whip Mutula Kilonzo Jnr.
His victory marked a win over Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina a close opponent in lobbying for the position.
Ledama had argued that the pastoralist communities and the Maasai, in particular, had not been rewarded despite their resounding support for NASA leader Raila Odinga in the 2017 elections.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party on Tuesday further endorsed the Forestry Task Force commissioned by Deputy President (DP) William Ruto.
In a statement, ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna conveyed that the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) had seen the importance of the task force and urged the government to fully execute the report that it will prepare.
[caption caption="Siaya Senator James Orengo"]
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"The NEC welcomes the move by the government to set a team to look into the question of environmental degradation, especially within our forests.
"We as a party hope that this was not a public relations exercise and urge that the report of that task force be implemented fully," the party official stated.
