[Senate Speaker Ekwe Ethuro (left) in a past event. He may have been dropped by Jubilee because of inability to deliver in Turkana. Photo/Nation]
Ekwee Ethuro may after all not serve as speaker of Senate in the second term after a rather exemplar performance in the pioneer senate after promulgation of the new constitution.
Jubilee party backed him in 2013 due to their majority in the house and should he fail to lobby for support from either side of political divide, he will spend five years in the cold.
Parliament will have its first sitting on Thursday and among top agenda in the Order paper will be election of speaker.
President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee party backed former Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka for the lucrative seat, an indication that Ethuro will have to struggle.
At his Turkana backyard, Jubilee failed to impress, perhaps the major reason behind Jubilee’s decision to back Lusaka, whose tough Western region managed to scoop 12 parliamentary seats.
Also, Ethuro is on record for being a crusader of devolution and at times in Senate, he prevailed upon the Jubilee side in crucial debates to allow dialogue such on the case of removal of IEBC commissioners from office.
But Jubilee’s underperformance in Turkana County unlike in 2013 could be the reason behind his unprecedented woes which he may after all prevail should he play his cards well.