Moses Wetangula, the immediate former Bungoma Senator, was on Thursday evening elected the new Speaker of the National Assembly after beating Kenneth Marende.

Kenya Kwanza’s Wetangula vanquished Azimio’s Marende, who was National Assembly Speaker in 2007, to become the eighth Speaker and was sworn into office at 7:30pm.

The Ford Kenya party leader, who resigned from his senate seat after being re-elected in the August 9 election, was declared victor after the first round of voting in the Chambers.


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The was no clear winner in round one of voting as neither attained the mandatory two-thirds majority after Wetangula garnered 215 votes and Marende 130 out of a possible 349.

Kenneth Marende. PHOTO/COURTESY

A candidate needed at least 233 votes to win the Speaker race in the first round and a simple majority in the second round to sail through to be confirmed as the next Speaker.

Seeing the signs in the initial round, Marende withdrew his candidature paving the way for Sarah Kioko, the Acting Clerk of the National Assembly, to declare Wetangula the victor.


“Honourable members, we should be proceeding to the next round of voting. However, I have received a written communication from one of the candidates, Kenneth Marende, indicating that he does not wish to proceed to the second round of voting. This has been witnessed by Suna East MP Junet Mohamed,” announced Kioko.


Wetangula follows the footsteps of Sir Humphrey Slade (1967-1970), Fred Gideon Mbiti (1970-1988), Moses Arap Keino (1988-1991), Jonathan Arap Ng’eno (1991-1993), Francis Ole Kaparo (1993-2008), Kenneth Marende (2008-2013) and Justin Muturi (2013-2022).