Former Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka has been elected the Speaker of the Senate, replacing former Speaker Ekwee Ethuro. There was no outright winner after the first round of voting, which included Ethuro, Maalim among others, and Maalim and Lusaka headed to round two. The votes cast in the race were 67, and Ken Lusaka garnered 42 votes, while Farah Maalim got 25 votes. Lusaka had garnered 40 votes in the first round and Maalim got 23 votes.
The law requires that for a member to be declared a winner, he or she should garner two-thirds of the votes so a re-run was done because all contestants never got the above votes. In the second round if no member gets two-thirds of the votes, then the simple majority takes it.
In his maiden speech, the former Governor thanked leaders who elected him, “The immense confidence and trust you have placed on me today profoundly humbles and makes me proud at the same time. I accept with humility and pledge to perform the responsibilities and duties of the Speaker of the Senate for the next five years with diligence,” he said.
The seat had attracted other tough competitors, most notably former Speaker Ekwee Ethuro, and Lusaka lauded them for the competitive spirit they displayed and how they went about the whole process in a democratic manner, “I wish to recognize my competitors for a well-fought competition. We have demonstrated we can compete democratically in a free race,” he said, adding that Kenyans demonstrated to the whole world that the nation has a mature and vibrant democracy following the peaceful general election.
He congratulated the former Speaker for steering the Senate ship as the first captain under the new constitution, “I pay tribute to my predecessor, he presided over the Senate in the most difficult times,” said Lusaka.
