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Muturi reelected Speaker of National Assembly


National Assembly speaker Mr Justin Muturi on Thursday retained his seat with ease after garnering 220 votes in an exercise that went to the second round.

In the first round of voting, Mr Muturi got 217 votes while his competitor Dr Noah Winja Migudo got only four votes. In the second round, Dr Migudo only got one vote. The third candidate Mr Washington Andango withdrew from the race on Wednesday evening.

According to the standing orders 7(1), for one to be elected as Speaker of the National Assembly, he/she needs to garner two-thirds of the total votes of members translating to 233 MPs.

SECOND ROUND

The MPs therefore had to go for a second round of voting where only a simple majority is required for one to be elected.

Mr Muturi was poised to retain the seat after he was endorsed by the Jubilee Party in the Parliamentary Group meeting held at State House on Wednesday.

With the ruling party enjoying a majority in the House, nobody posed a serious challenge to Muturi.

Despite a spirited last minute campaign in the corridors of parliament, Dr Migudo was unable to win the confidence of the MPs.

NEUTRAL CANDIDATE

Dr Migudo was campaigning on the platform of being a neutral candidate who will not play to the whims of any political party. He was promising the newly elected MPs adequate facilities in Nairobi and constituencies.

The exercise was however given a wide berth by a majority of opposition MPs. The few who were present did not pick the ballot and remained in their seats when their names were called out.

“I have nothing to do here once I have been sworn in, Let me go and do other things,” said Ugunja MP Mr Opiyo Wandayi.

Mr Muturi thanked the newly elected MPs for expressing their confidence in him and promised to serve them without any preference.