Serah Kioko, first female National Assembly Clerk to oversee MPs swearing in
Acting Clerk of the National Assembly Serah Kioko will make history as the first woman in Kenya to swear-in Member of Parliament (MPs) -elect today.
This is after the Parliamentary Service Commission picked her to replace outgoing clerk Michael Sialai who retired on July, 31, 2022.
Kioko who is the acting clerk of the National Assembly, will go down in history as the first female in Kenya to oversee the swearing in of the 337 elected Members of Parliament.
She will also preside over the election of the Speaker later today.
“I trust that we will have a smooth process of swearing in the MPs of the 13th Parliament and electing the Speaker. It is the first time I’m doing this as a Clerk, but I have participated in the process at lower levels for many years in my position as clerk assistant, director for Procedural and Legislative Services and Deputy Clerk. So, the process is not new to me.” she said.
As Clerk assistant, her role was to assist the speaker on matters to do with procedures and advise on a number of issues.
Her duties include marshalling published Bills, Motions, and Sessional Papers for the National Assembly’s in addition to other roles.
Her staff are obliged to oversee the House Business Committee, the National Assembly Powers and Privileges Committee, and the National Assembly Procedure and Rules Committee.
During the 30 years of her profession as a parliamentary officer, she served as the first female Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly where she was in charge of overseeing and supervising chamber duties and assisting the Clerk in providing advice to the Speaker.
She was also the first and only female to serve as Director of Services and Legislative Procedures in the Senate.
She fondly dates 1999 as the year when she recalled the ninth parliament, when she and a few other women sat at the Clerk’s table for the first time.
United Democratic Alliance Moses Wetangula will face off with Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya candidate Kenneth Marende for the post of speaker of the National Assembly.
