Kenneth Kedi (born 1971) is a Marshallese politician. He has been Speaker of the

Legislature of the Marshall Islands The Legislature of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Nitijeļā ) has 33 members, elected for a four-year term in single-seat and five multi-seat constituencies. The last election was November 18, 2019. Elections in the Marshall Islands are officially n ...

since 4 January 2016 and was re-elected in 2020. Kedi is a member of the Kien Eo Ad (KEA) party.

Life

Kedi was born in 1971. Kedi is a member of the Kien Eo Ad (KEA) party. He represents the

Rongelap Atoll Rongelap Atoll ( Marshallese: , ) is a coral atoll of 61 islands (or motus) in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands. Its total land area is . It encloses a lagoon with an area of . ...

in the Legislature. He has stated that people from the atoll are hesitant to return after nuclear testing on the island by the United States during the 20th-century. In June 2011 when Kedi was Minister of Transport and Communications, he was charged with ten counts of criminal acts relating to misappropriation of funds, making it the first time a Marshall Islands minister was charged with criminal acts. When the case went to court the next month seven of the charges were dropped, and Kedi pleaded no contest to the remaining three. The amount of money involved in the case was around US$2000. Kedi received a suspended prison sentence of 30 days, and a $1000 fine. He continued to serve as Minister. On 4 January 2016 Kedi was elected Speaker of the

. He won the election with 19 to 14 votes of former Marshall Islands President

Christopher Loeak Christopher Jorebon Loeak (born 11 November 1952) is a Marshallese politician who was the President of the Marshall Islands from 2012 to 2016. He was elected by parliament as President in January 2012, following the 2011 general election. Per ...

. He succeeded Donald Capelle. In November 2018 he supported an ultimately unsuccessful vote of no-confidence in President

Hilda Heine Hilda Cathy Heine (born April 6, 1951) is a Marshallese educator and politician, who served as the eighth President of the Marshall Islands. Prior to assuming office, she served as the Minister of Education. She was the first individual from the ...

. In October 2019 the

Supreme Court of the Marshall Islands The Supreme Court is the highest court of law in the Republic of the Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island cou ...

struck down the country's voting law as unconstitutional relating to an issue for offshore postal ballots. Kedi subsequently argued that previous election law which did allow for offshore postal ballots to take effect again. On 6 January 2020 Kedi was re-elected as Speaker, defeating

Brenson Wase Brenson S. Wase (born 28 May 1952) is a Marshallese politician and a long-time member of the cabinet and senator in Nitijela. Wase was born in Arno Atoll in 1952. He has a degree in business administration. He was first elected in 1983 as se ...

with 19 against 14 votes.

References

1971 births Living people Government ministers of the Marshall Islands Members of the Legislature of the Marshall Islands Speakers of the Legislature of the Marshall Islands People from the Ralik Chain {{Marshalls-politician-stub