Former Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi has been elected as the new Senate Speaker.
In a voting exercise at the Senate on Thursday, September 8, the ex-county boss garnered 46 votes to clinch the position.
Kingi surpassed the required threshold of two-thirds of the total votes, which translates to 45 votes of the total 67 votes.
He had been fronted by the president-elect William Ruto-led Kenya Kwanza Alliance for the position.
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The win by the Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) party leader comes after Azimio candidate Kalonzo Musyoka withdrew from the race to be the Senate Speaker.
In an announcement by the Senate Clerk before the voting, the Wiper Party boss wrote a letter to the Senate to pull out of the race.
"I want to draw to the attention of the senate and honourable senators that this morning Hon. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, by a letter reference WDM/SEM/GC 2022, withdrew his candidature for speaker of the senate and will not appear on the ballot paper," the clerk stated.
As a result, Azimio-allied Senators walked out of the Senate chambers before the clerk called the house to order for the voting to begin.
Other candidates who had shown interest in the race were Fredrick Karuri Muchiri, George Njoroge Kuria, George Bush, Isaac Polo and Beatrice Kathomi.
Following the win by Kingi, the new Senate Speaker took an oath of office before the Senators present in the chambers.
Meanwhile, Meru Senator Murungi Kathuri was elected the new Senate deputy speaker unopposed after his only competitor in the race, Kilifi Senator Stewart Madzayo, withdrew from the race.
