Former Bungoma governor, Ken Lusaka was on Thursday elected as speaker of the second Senate after Jubilee senators put their weight behind him.

Lusaka was elected as speaker after he garnered 40 votes in a poll that went for a second round of voting after all the candidates failed to garner 45 out of the 67 votes required for one to be declared the winner. his close challenger NASA’s Farah Maalim garnered 23 votes while former senate speaker, Ekwe Ethuro only managed to garner 2 votes.

NASA has 25 members in the senate while Jubilee has 38.

Senators affiliated to NASA led by James Orengo and Mutula Kilonzo Jnr had earlier sought to have Lusaka disqualified from contesting after they raised integrity issues regarding the accusations of misappropriation of public funds during his tenure as Bungoma governor.

They argued that according to the constitution, Lusaka could not contest for the speaker position until he was cleared by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

the senate clerk Jeremiah Nyengenye, however, ruled that allegations against the former governor had not been proven and therefore it would be unfair to bar him from running.

Ken Lusaka is the governor who purchased the famous non-carcinogens wheelbarrows for the Bungoma slaughter house at Sh 100,000 each.

JUSTIN MUTURI ELECTED SPEAKER OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Jubilee legislators used their tyranny of numbers to retain Justin Muturi as speaker of the 12^thparliament.

Muturi won round two of the election with 220 votes while his closest rival Noah Winja only garnered one vote.