Nakuru County Senator Susan Kihika has taken over as the acting President of the Bureau of Women Parliamentarians.
The first time Senator who is among the three elected senators in Kenya was earlier this year elected as the first Vice President of the Bureau.
Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka broke the news of the Senator Kihika’s new role after a meeting with Mr Martin Chungong the Sec-General of the Inter-parliamentary Union at the IPU Headquarters in Geneva.
Sec-Gen @MartinChungong also informed me that Sen @SusanKihika, who was elected as the 1st V-President of the Bureau of Women Parliamentarians during #138IPU in March, will act as President owing to a vacancy in the Presidency. Strong @Senate_KE representation @ #139Assembly!
— Ken Lusaka (@Ken_Lusaka) October 12, 2018
The Bureau of Women parliamentarians was set up in 1990 and is elected by the Forum of Women Parliamentarians. It is made up of women from all six IPU geopolitical groups (Africa, the Arab World, Asia-Pacific, Eurasia, Latin America/the Caribbean and the sixth known as the “Twelve-Plus” group). It has a President and two Vice-Presidents.
The Bureau President automatically becomes a member of our Executive Committee, adding a voice to those of the women MPs already serving there.
Senator Susan Kihika whose term as Vice-President was to run between 2018-2020. She takes over from Hon Ulrika Karlsson of Sweden who lost her seat in the 349-member Riksdag (Parliament) following the September 2018 election.
The appointment will see Senator Kihika play a high profile role during the 139th Assembly of the Inter-parliamentary Union between 14 – 18 Oct 2018 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The other Vice President (Second Vice-President) of the Bureau is Ms A. Al-Basti of United Arab Emirates.
Senator Kihika is also the Majority Chief Whip at the Senate of Kenya.