Kenya elects speakers to National Assembly

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Kenya’s 13th parliament opened its first sitting Thursday for members to take the oath of office and elect speakers to the National Assembly.

Lawmakers elected Moses Wetang'ula the speaker of the National Assembly and Amason Kingi the speaker of the Senate.

“I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to the honorable members here, for the high honor that you have bestowed upon me by electing me as the speaker of this house,” Wetang'ula said after taking office.

“I accept and submit to your will and am ready to serve as the 8th speaker of the National Assembly since our independence,” he added.

Lawmakers took their oaths at the parliament building in the nation’s capital of Nairobi. They were allowed to take their oaths in Swahili or English, the country’s national languages.

Kenya’s top court Monday upheld William Ruto's win in the Aug. 9 presidential election in a unanimous ruling, dismissing nine petitions seeking to nullify the result.

Ruto, 55, and Rigathi Gachagua, his pick for the deputy president, will be sworn in on Sept. 13.