Westlands Member of Parliament Timothy Wanyonyi found himself in a tight spot on Thursday, September 8, during the election of the speaker of the National Assembly.
Wanyonyi had to choose between being loyal to the party that sponsored him to parliament and standing with his brother Moses Wetangula.
Speaking while on his way to the inaugural sitting of the 13th Parliament, Wanyonyi acknowledged that the two are on two different sides in the showdown despite being brothers. When asked about his preferred candidate, he declined to disclose it.
"Wetangula is my brother, yes but we are on opposite sides of the political divide, however, I cannot disclose my vote," he stated.
The Westlands lawmaker successfully defended his seat on an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party- a signatory party of the Azimio la Umoja Coalition.
Wetangula, on the other hand, is among the principals of William Ruto-led Kenya Kwanza Alliance and has the blessings of President-elect William Ruto.
Besides being an MP, Wanyonyi has been a loyal member of ODM. He was among the favourites in the race to secure ODM's nomination ticket for Nairobi County gubernatorial race before stepping down for Polycarp Igathe,
In a parliamentary group meeting held on Wednesday, September 7- Azimio la Umoja MPs resolved to support former speaker Kenneth Marende in the race for National Assembly Speaker. The meeting chaired by outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta also resolved to front Daadab MP Farah Maalim as the coalition's candidate for the Deputy Speaker in the National Assembly.
Wetangula has the backing of Kenya Kwanza Alliance MPs after the coalition's unanimous decision to field him for the position. Regional politics are expected to play a factor as both candidates hail from Western Kenya.
Despite calls by Azimio leaders to maintain loyalty and turn down offers to woo them, President-elect William Ruto has managed to win members of parties signed under the Azimio Coalition to his camp. Further, Ruto has also swayed independently elected members to his camp to further complicate Azimio's plot to win the speaker's position.
Voting is expected to take place in the afternoon of Thursday after the 349 MPs are sworn in through a secret ballot. The winner is required to secure at least two-thirds of the total votes for a round one win.
However, in the event none of the candidates attains the threshold- the top two candidates will contest again where the winner is determined by a simple majority.
The election will be presided over by the Acting Clerk of the National Assembly Serah Kioko to officially usher in the 13th parliament.
