Nairobi, April 24 -- Toward the end of the Ninth Parliament, I knew I had steered the House well enough and had done the best I could for my country. I wanted to retire at the end of that season.

However, in the face of the momentous challenges facing the nation, I changed my mind when several colleagues, including Prof George Saitoti, Kalonzo Musyoka, John Michuki, and even the President, asked me to stay on as Speaker of the House.

President Mwai Kibaki wanted a steady hand in that very grim hour, when the winds of strife were sweeping through the land, threatening our tenuous peace. He saw that quality in me, and I was glad to offer myself once again - this being the fourth consecutive term - as a candidate for Speaker of the Nationa...