Following Kenneth Marende’s withdrawal from the election for Azimio la Umoja, Moses Wetangula, the leader of the Ford-Kenya party, has declared the duly-elected speaker.
Suna East MP Junet Mohamed, who also serves as Azimio’s director of elections, delivered the news to the acting clerk.
“I hereby declare Moses Wetangula as the 8th speaker of the National Assembly,” acting clerk, Serah Kioko announced.
In the first round of the race to become Speaker of the National Assembly on Thursday, September 8, Wetangula easily defeated Kenneth Marende of the Azimio la Umoja coalition.
Justin Muturi, the previous speaker, gave the incoming speaker of the National Assembly the gavel and wished him well.
The former Bungoma senator received 215 votes to Marende’s 130 in the closely contested race. There was one documented spoilt vote, bringing the total to 346.
To win the election, he needed more than 230 votes, or two-thirds of the total ballots cast.
Wetangula follows Justin Muturi, who was elected in March 2013. Wetangula is a seasoned politician who began his career in the public sector as a magistrate.
