Speaker’s post new battleground for Kakamega MCAs
After clinching the Kakamega governorship seat, Azimio-One Kenya Coalition Party has now shifted its focus to the seat of the County Assembly Speaker. The battle is mainly between ODM and DAP-Kenya.
Outgoing Governor Wycliffe Oparanya finds himself in another dilemma as the six candidates seek his endorsement.
These include the immediate former Shinyalu MP Justus Kizito, medic Brian Lishenga (below), MCAs-elect Ben Omboko and Francis Kasaya, lawyer Leonard Shimeka and Humphrey Sechero, an accountant.
Sources told the People Daily yesterday that Oparanya was vouching for Lishenga who vied for the Senate seat on ODM but lost to Boni Khalwale of UDA.
But Oparanya is equally under pressure to back Kizito who has been his longtime ally until they parted ways prior to the August 9 elections forcing him to join DAP-K. All the contestants were exuding confidence yesterday ahead of the polls.
“I am in this race because of the interests of the Kakamega people who need a strong county assembly that will effectively oversight the Executive. I believe I am the right man for this job,” said Lishenga. Omboko said he had been in the county assembly over the years during which acted as Speaker at some point and, thus, understood the business of the House.
