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Raila intervenes in Kisumu Speaker’s election as ex-MP wins in Kilifi

Wednesday, September 21st, 2022 01:30 | By
Raila's man clinches Kisumu Speaker seat after chaotic session
Elisha Oraro takes oath of office after being elected Soeaker of Kisumu County Assembly on Tuesday, September 20, 2022. PHOTO/Courtesy

An intervention yesterday by ODM leader Raila Odinga helped outgoing  Kisumu County Assembly Speaker Elisha Oraro to retain the seat.

Raila and Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o convened a meeting with MCAs in Kisumu on Monday evening. In the meeting, Raila reportedly told the MCAs to vote as they wished and that they were entitled to their democratic rights.

“Vote with your conscience,” he reportedly told the MCAs.

Oraro (pictured) retained the seat by garnering 25 votes against his close challenger, one time majority leader Samuel Ong’ou, who got 22 votes.

The race went to second round after none of the candidates attained the two thirds threshold required for an outright win.

In the first round, Oraro garnered 24 votes while Ong’ou got 23 votes in an exercise presided over by Assembly  Clerk Owen Ojuok.

Standoff

Earlier, there was a standoff which led to the MCAs swearing ceremony temporarily halted.

Some MCAs had dismissed a directive from ODM party that intended to stop the swearing in of four nominated MCAs for failing to attend the meeting convened by Raila on Monday night.

In Siaya,  Speaker George Okoda also retained his seat by  garnering 38 votes. He defeated Evans Orwenjo who got only two votes.

The position had attracted 12 candidates but only two made it to the ballot as majority of the candidates failed to meet the threshold.

In Kilifi, immediate former Ganze MP Teddy Mwambire was elected Speaker of the County Assembly.

Mwambire won the election in round one, garnering 37 out of the 51 votes cast. He beat former Kenya Ports Authority MD James Mlewa.

In Murang’a, Johnson Mukuha is the new Speaker for the Assembly.

He garnered 40 votes against his only competitor Stephen Macharia in the elections held yesterday.

Mukuha will be taking over from Nduati Kariuki who has served for two terms.

“I will be committed to the cause and will work with all the leaders in the best interest of our people” he said in his acceptance speech.

—Reporting by Noven Owiti, Kepher Otieno, Eric Juma,Wangari Njuguna and Ronald Mwadzombo

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