[Kenneth Lusaka in a event. He is likely to be Senate speaker following backing by President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee party. Photo/Nation]
Former Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka will after all be the senate speaker if Jubilee’s majority in the house will be taken into account.
Lusaka, whose name was adversely mentioned in the Sh100, 000 wheelbarrows doing his days as governor, was Uhuru Kenyatta’s chief campaigner in Western Kenya.
And in what is seen as reward after delivering over 12 parliamentary seats for Jubilee in a region perceived to be an opposition stronghold, he will serve as Speaker of Senate for the next five years.
“President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee party will back Kenneth Lusaka for Senate Speaker,” read a tweet from State House Digital Communication head Dennis Itumbi.
He adds: “The party will also front Justin Muturi as National Assembly Speaker.”
The decision was arrived at on Wednesday at State House when Uhuru met MPs and Senators allied to Jubilee party ahead of Thursday’s swearing in and subsequent election of speakers.
This means Speaker Ekwee Ethuro, who had applied to retain his seat, will lose in the long run since he won’t be having backing from Jubilee majority in the house.
On the contrary, opposition NASA is likely to back former National Assembly Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim, a move that would lead to the second voting to determine the outright winner.