Kenneth Marende
Kenneth Otiato Marende (born 7 January 1956) is a Kenyan lawyer and politician who served as the Speaker of the National Assembly from 15 January 2008 to 14 January 2013. He was the Member of Parliament for Emuhaya Constituency from 2003 to 2007. Born in Mumboha, North Nyanza, Marende studied law at the University of Nairobi and the Kenya School of Law, becoming a practicing lawyer and partner in several firms before entering politics with the NARC party.
As Speaker, Marende led the Parliament, chaired the House Business Committee and the Parliamentary Service Commission, and helped introduce live broadcasting of parliamentary proceedings. He supported reforms including an amendment to decriminalize marital rape. In the 13th Parliament, he ran for Speaker but was defeated by Moses Wetangula. He has received several honors, including Elder of the Golden Heart in 2008, Jurist of the Year by ICJ-K in 2009, and the Advocates Lifetime Roll of Honour in 2011. After politics, he co-founded the law firm Marende & Nyaundi Associates (MANCO). His first wife, Dr Lavender Marende, died in 2005; he later married Rachel Olubero, with whom he separated in 2008. He has several children.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 15:00 (CET).