Kenneth A. Kedi (born 1971) is a Marshallese politician. He was Speaker of the

Legislature of the Marshall Islands The Legislature of the Marshall Islands ( ) has 33 members, elected for a four-year term in nineteen single-seat and five multi-seat constituencies. The last election was November 20, 2023. Elections in the Marshall Islands are officially nonpar ...

between 2016 and 2024, having been 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 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. He succeeded Donald Capelle. In November 2018, he supported an ultimately unsuccessful vote of no-confidence in President

Hilda Heine Hilda Cathy Heine (born 6 April 1951) is a Marshallese educator and politician. She has served as the president of the Marshall Islands since 2024, having previously served from 2016 to 2020. Heine was the first woman to lead any sovereign count ...

. In October 2019, the Supreme Court of the Marshall Islands 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 with 19 against 14 votes. In February 2023, ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' reported that Kedi is under investigation by the Marshall Islands' attorney general. Kedi lost his seat during the 2023 Marshallese general election. He was succeeded as Speaker by Wase on 3 January 2024.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kedi, Kenneth 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