Jubilee wins Speakers seats in show of might

New Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka takes the oath of office at Parliament buildings in Nairobi on August 31, 2017. PHOTO | DENNIS ONSONGO | NMG 

By EDWIN MUTAI

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Summary

• Justin Muturi retained his seat after beating little known Dr Noah Winja Migudo.
• Mr Muturi polled 217 votes in the first round of voting or 20 votes less than the 233 he needed to clinch a first round win.
• Kenneth Lusaka had earlier won the Senate Speaker seat by a simple majority of 42 votes in the second round of voting against former National Assembly deputy Speaker Farah Maalim who got 25 votes in second round of voting.

The 2022 succession politics took shape on Wednesday after Jubilee flexed its majority in parliament to elect Justin Muturi and former Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka as Speakers of the National Assembly and the Senate respectively.

Mr Muturi retained his seat after beating little known Dr Noah Winja Migudo. Mr Muturi polled 217 votes in the first round of voting or 20 votes less than the 233 he needed to clinch a first round win.

Mr Lusaka had earlier won the Senate Speaker seat by a simple majority of 42 votes in the second round of voting  against former National Assembly deputy Speaker Farah Maalim who got 25 votes in second round of voting.

Ekwee Ethuro, the first Senate Speaker, did not make it to the second round of voting having got only two votes in the first round. The Standing Orders require a Speaker to be elected by two thirds majority of members.

In the Senate, which has 67 members, one needed the support of 45 senators to win in the first round.

READ: Former Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka elected Senate Speaker

ALSO READ: Justin Muturi re-elected National Assembly Speaker

Mr Maalim (Nasa) lost his bid to oust the Garissa Township MP Aden Duale, who will retain his position as the Leader of Majority in the 12th Parliament in a lineup that was endorsed at a Jubilee parliamentary group meeting held at State House, Nairobi, on Wednesday.

The election of the Senate deputy Speaker was put on hold for lack of a candidate. Senators Irungu Kangata (Muranga), Jonson Sakaja (Nairobi), Susan Kihika (Nakuru) and Kimani Wamatangi (Kiambu) withdrew their candidature in favour of Prof Kithure Kindiki (Tharaka- Nithi), who was picked for the seat by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto.

In the National Assembly, Kuresoi North MP Moses Cheboi was declared elected unopposed as the deputy Speaker because he had no competitor for the seat.

Mr Muturi easily recaptured his seat after a third candidate Mr Onyango Washington Andago opted out of the race a day to the polls.

Nominated MP Cecily Mbarire and Emurua/Dikir MP Johana Ngeno acted as poll agents for Mr Muturi and Dr Migudo respectively.

MPs participated in choosing their Speakers after they were sworn into office as members of the 12th Parliament.

READ: Turkana MPs want Ethuro retained as Senate Speaker

Michael Sialai, the clerk of the National Assembly, said House rules require election of the Speaker to be supported by two thirds of all MPs for one to win in the first round of voting.

Mr Sialai said the two thirds requirement (233 MPs) is not a constitutional requirement but a requirement in the Standing Orders . “It (two-thirds) was meant to ease the election of the Speaker. The election of Speaker used to be done in three rounds. The threshold of two-thirds only applies to the first round,” he said.

An earlier threat by the opposition National Super Alliance (Nasa) to deny the Jubilee Party the numbers needed to elect the Speaker failed after Mr Sialai cleared the air on the election process.

Mvita MP Abdulswamad Sharif Nassir was the only Nasa MP who took part in the election of Speaker.