Saturday, September 5, 2009

HON. MOSES KEINO

Moses Kiprono arap Keino was born in September 1937. He was the speaker of Parliament of Kenya from 1988 up to 1991. Between 1962 and 1967 Hon. Moses Keino attended Hochschule fur Oekonomie (University of Economics), Karlhorst, East Berlin, Germany and graduated with a Masters in Economics. Moses Kiprono arap Keino served as a Member of Parliament representing Kericho East for 15 years on a KANU ticket [1969 - 1983]. He served on several Standing and ad hoc Select Committees; and both as Deputy Chief Whip and Deputy Speaker. As the Deputy Speaker of the Fourth Parliament his tenure was cut short by his resignation on June 20, 1983 . The resignation of Mr. arap Keino arose out of a contentious ruling he had made a few days earlier barring the then Member for Lurambi South the Hon. Wasike Ndombi from moving an Adjournment motion pursuant to provisions of Standing Order 20. His resignation forestalled the debate on a no Confidence Motion in him to have been moved by the Member for Bungoma South, the Hon. L. S. Sifuna. No successor was elected as the dissolution of the Fourth Parliament came on July 22, 1983 , paving way for snap general elections on September 26 1983. On 12 April 1988 Moses Kiprono arap Keino was elected unopposed as the Speaker of the Parliament of Kenya KANU and served till resignation on June 11,1991 . Consequently, Mr. Speaker arap Keino became the second Speaker so far to resign from the office of Speaker of the National Assembly since October 1948; and the only one since Independence.
Moses Kiprono arap Keino later crossed over to the Opposition [FORD] and fought for Multi-Party Politics in Kenya until the then President Daniel arap Moi allowed it in the 1992 elections.
FORD was split into two factions namely; Ford –Asili under Keneth Matiba and Forum for the restoration of Democracy – Kenya under the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga father of present second Prime Minister of Kenya Hon.Raila Odinga. In 1992, he contested the Kipkelion constituency which was considered a KANU zone under FORD-KENYA and was nearly killed when he tried to present his nomination papers.
Moses Kiprono arap Keino died on 4th November, 1998 following a long illness and was buried at his Sorget farm in Londiani, Kericho District.