William Ruto's Tough Task To Push Agendas In Parliament

William Ruto’s Tough Task To Push Agendas In Parliament

By Juma / Published August 16, 2022 | 9:39 am

KEY POINTS

William Ruto got 7,176,141 (50.49%) votes in a process that saw more than 14 million Kenyans come out to vote. Ruto was followed by Raila Omollo Odinga of Azimio who got 6,943,930 (48.86%) votes.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The Kenya Kwanza coalition headed by Deputy President William Ruto has 159 lawmakers in the National Assembly while Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has 162.

On Monday, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) announced William Samoei Ruto as the new president of the Republic of Kenya in one of the general elections that observers have called fair and transparent.

William Ruto got 7,176,141 (50.49%) votes in a process that saw more than 14 million Kenyans come out to vote. Ruto was followed by Raila Omollo Odinga of Azimio who got 6,943,930 (48.86%) votes. Raila Odinga has since rejected the results saying his chief agent was not allowed to verify the results.

Analysts say that the new President faces a tough task pushing his legislative agenda after none of the two political parties won a clear majority in Parliament. The Kenya Kwanza coalition headed by Deputy President William Ruto has 159 lawmakers in the National Assembly while Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has 162.

Related Content: The 5 Stages Of Grief In A Political Sphere

Elections were postponed in four constituencies and the two coalitions are poised to share them equally. If Azimio will still has the majority of members in the National Assembly, then President William Ruto will have to play his cards in bringing independent candidates on board.

At the Senate, Azimio and Kenya Kwanza had 23 and 24 members respectively. The balance of power in Parliament may shift when nominated MPs and senators are picked based on individual party strength. It is also common for the governing party or coalition to raid opposition ranks in Parliament for support.

The new President will require a clear majority to pass crucial Bills, and approve nominees to the Cabinet, Principal Secretaries, ambassadors, and high commissioner. With Azimio feeling that their win was taken away by Kenya Kwanza, they are likely to use their muscles in parliament to “teach” Kenya Kwanza a lesson.

About Juma

Juma is an enthusiastic journalist who believes that journalism has power to change the world either negatively or positively depending on how one uses it.(020) 528 0222 or Email: info@sokodirectory.com

View other posts by Juma