The Lawmaker (Ep 12)

He says he never thought he was destined for leadership earlier in life. Though he was interested in politics since he was young, having come from a political background, he was not confident that he would be elected if he vied for an elective position. His own father vied many times unsuccessfully, but it is his uncle, the late Prof. Jonathan Ngeno who was lucky to be elected as a Member of Parliament and later Speaker of the National Assembly between 1991-1993.
First elected to Parliament in 2002 on a KANU Party ticket, he is now serving his third term in the National Assembly, after a brief haitus between 2007-2012. He says his greatest achievement as a lawmaker is enhancing cohesion within his constituency which was a political clashes hotspot during the 2007 post-election violence.
His stellar performance while serving as the First Chairperson of the Speaker’s Panel in the 11th Parliament, propelled him to be elected Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of the 12th Parliament, unopposed. He believes his stint as Deputy Speaker has been enriched by his great working relationship with the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Hon. Justin Muturi.
The lawmaker who says he has found a new hobby in playing golf, is very captivating both as a presiding officer in the House and outside the House. Indeed a casual walk across the National Assembly Members’ lounge during breaks from the House plenary Sittings, will introduce you to a characteristic crowd of MPs, huddled up in a corner christened Cheboi’s lounge. At the centre of the crowd, one cannot fail to spot the unassuming lawmaker deep in conversation, his audience following keenly with occasional bouts of laughter.
In this week’s series of the #Lawmaker, we feature the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly the Hon. Moses Cheboi.