Azimio Candidate Kennedy Ng'ondi is the new speaker-elect of the Nairobi City County National Assembly.
County Assembly clerk Edward Gichana declared him the victor after he won the second round of the election, bagging 68 votes as opposed to Hassan Robow's 55 votes.
The two-thirds constitutional requirement did not apply during the second round of voting as the winner was declared based on attaining the simple majority of the total votes cast.
The speaker-elect had won the first round, garnering 71 votes against Robow's 52 votes. However, he did not garner two-thirds of the votes cast.
Nairobi County Assembly conducted the election after the swearing-in of 124 Members of County Assembly (MCAs) - 85 elected and 39 nominated.
Ng'ondi is not new to City Hall politics having served as deputy speaker in the inaugural house between 2013 and 2017.
Initially elected as the MCA for Kware Ward in Embakasi South Constituency, he also served on the assembly's Public Health Committee.
24 candidates had collected nomination papers but only nine submitted duly completed forms to the office of the clerk. However, many interested individuals were disqualified over failure to meet the constitutional requirements.
Among them was Kenya Kwanza candidate and outgoing Speaker Benson Mutura, whose name was struck off the list of contenders. He did not submit clearance certificates from the Kenya Revenue Authority or the National Police Service.
Others who were locked out include Arthur Ngugi, Charles Muratha, Austine Amimo, Ahmed Dubon, Samwel Masaki and Brian Mutie.
A number of ODM lawmakers followed the proceedings from the gallery including Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, Woman Rep Esther Passaris, Ruaraka MP Tom Kajwang' and Lang'ata lawmaker Phelix Odiwuor Jalang'o.
