Ford-Kenya party leader, Moses Wetangula, was declared speaker after Azimio la Umoja's contestant, Kenneth Marende, withdrew from the second round of the race.
The announcement was communicated to the acting clerk by Suna East MP, Junet Mohamed, who also serves as Azimio's director of elections.
"I hereby declare Moses Wetangula as the 8th speaker of the National Assembly," acting clerk, Serah Kioko announced.
Former speaker, Justin Muturi, handed over power to the new National Assembly speaker and wished him well.
"As you assume the office and embark on discharging the duties of the speaker, I trust that you will find this set of past rulings by your predecessors most useful. Congratulations Mr speaker," Justin Muturi saluted.
On Thursday, September 8, Wetangula trounced Kenneth Marende of the Azimio la Umoja coalition in the first round of the National Assembly Speaker's race.
In the hotly contested battle, the former Bungoma Senator garnered 215 votes against Marende's 130. One spoilt vote was recorded taking the total number of votes to 346.
He had required over 230 votes, two-thirds of the ballots cast to win the race. The second round was, however, called off following Marende's withdrawal.
Wetangula, a veteran politician who kicked off his career in Public Service as a magistrate, succeeds Justin Muturi who was elected in March 2013.
Only two candidates were cleared, according to the Acting National Assembly Clerk Serah Kioko who stated that at least 21 candidates collected nomination papers but the majority were disqualified.
Those who did not meet the threshold included Agano party leader and former presidential candidate David Mwaure Waihiga, Gideon Kiplangat Cheruiyot, Daniel Wanyonyi Opilo, Dorothy Kemunto Nyagori, Kevin Nyamari among others.
Before the vote, Ms Kioko had to rule on the candidature of Wetangula after Azimio MPs led by Ruaraka lawmaker TJ Kajwang argued that the former Senator did not follow due process.
"The Speaker to which he delivered his resignation letter (as Senator) was already a governor... Wetangula is not eligible to become a Speaker," argued Kajwang whose argument was echoed by Nominated MP John Mbadi.
However, the Kenya Kwanza side stood its ground, fiercely defending the eligibility of Wetangula. Former Majority Leader Adan Duale and Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichungwah dismissed Azimio’s stance as baseless.
"What TJ Kajawang is purporting can only be described as opaque," charged Ichungwah.
"Moses Wetangula ceased to be the Senator of Bungoma on the 9th of August... before he submitted his resignation, Wetangula has been a senator-elect and therefore not a state officer," Duale stated.
In her ruling, Kioko stated the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission - IEBC had cleared Wetangula, allowing MPs to proceed with the voting.
“I am in receipt of a letter dated August 29 from Moses Wetangula in which he communicated to the Speaker of Senate his decision to resign as Senator-elect of Bungoma. I have satisfied myself that Moses Wetangula is qualified to vie as Speaker of the National Assembly,” she explained.
