Three contestants were locked out of the Kakamega Speaker seat race hours just before the elections took place on 21st September 2022.
The immediate former Member of Parliament for Shinyalu Justus Kizito, Doctor Brian Lishienga who unsuccessfully contested for the Kakamega Senatorial seat and advocate Shimaka from Malava constituency were locked out of the race for allegedly failing to submit all the requirements for the seat.
Addressing the media outside the Assembly, Dr. Lishienga and Kizito claim to have presented all the required documents for the seat but were shocked to be informed that they didn’t qualify for the seat.
“If we were cleared by the IEBC to vie in the last elections, how come the Assembly a smaller institution finds us unfit for the position,” questioned Kizito.
Kizito is said to have not attached a clearance letter from the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission while Lishenga is said to have forgotten to attach his CV.
The two have threatened to take legal action to bar the Speaker from running the Assembly until a fair election is conducted.
However, elections for the Speaker seat went on undisturbed as advocate James Namatsi was voted in after garnering 60 votes against his close competitor Kennedy Kilwake who was the former majority leader who got 29 votes while the former speaker Maurice Buluma got 3 votes.
Benard Shitiabayi of Isukha East ward was elected as the Deputy Speaker.