Jubilee gets Senate majority as independents locked out

More than half, 24, of the elective seats in the Senate will be occupied by the Jubilee Party, according to provisional results released by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Nasa will have 20 senators, Kanu two and the Party for Development and Reform (PDR) one. This means Jubilee will have a majority in the Senate.

Twelve senators are set to retain their seats in this year’s General Election, with 12 others having run for governor in their counties, paving way for newcomers to the Senate.

According to the results, only one of the 44 independent candidates who sought the Senate seat was set for a win, with 17 coming in second and third positions in their counties.

Six (50 per cent) of the senators who ran for the position of governor lost their races.

BIG LOSERS

Murang’a incumbent and Deputy Senate Speaker Kembi Gitura (independent) lost to Kiharu MP Irungu Kang’ata of Jubilee. Mr Kang’ata got 279,285 votes (55 per cent) and Mr Gitura garnered 227,449 votes (45 per cent).

Samburu Senator Sammy Leshore of Kanu lost his seat to Jubilee’s Steve Lelegwe. With 99 per cent of the votes in, Mr Lelegwe was in the lead with 31,746 votes (50 per cent) followed by the incumbent Mr Leshore who got 19,018 votes (30 per cent).

Henry Ndiema (Ford-Kenya) lost Trans Nzoia County to Michael Mbito (Jubilee). With 97 per cent of the votes in, Mr Mbito was leading with 68,991 votes (29 per cent) followed closely by Mr Ndiema with 68,456 votes (28.9 per cent).

WOMEN SENATORS

The Senate will now have three women senators, the first women to occupy the seats in history under the new Constitution, exactly the same number as that of the newly elected women governors. Ms Susan Kihika (Jubilee) was heading to a landslide victory for the Nakuru Senate seat, with 98 per cent of the votes in. She had garnered 657,751 votes (90 per cent).

Her close rival Samwel Ogada of ODM was second with 56,829 votes (eight per cent). The incumbent senator, James Mungai, had opted to run for the county’s gubernatorial seat but lost, coming fourth in the race.

NEW WINNERS

In Uasin Gishu, former Higher Education Cabinet Minister Margaret Kamar (Jubilee) was set to be the next senator. She beat four male candidates, garnering 225,817 votes (67 per cent). The incumbent senator Melly Kipkemboi did not run for the seat after losing to Ms Kamar in the Jubilee Party primaries.
Ms Fatuma Dullo of PDR was leading in a very close race for the Isiolo senate seat. With 97 per cent of the votes in, she was leading with 14,567 votes (28 per cent) followed by Mr Hussein Roba (independent) with 13,923 votes (27 per cent).

A newcomer Boniface Kabaka (Chama Cha Uzalendo) was projected to be the next senator of Machakos County. With 99 per cent of the votes in, he had 161,235 votes (35 per cent) followed by Jackson Kalla (Wiper Party) with 151,091 votes (33 per cent).
The seat was up for grabs after incumbent senator, Johnson Muthama, opted out of the race, choosing to campaign for Nasa flagbearer Raila Odinga.

Also likely to join the Senate is Hassan Albeity (Wiper Party), who was leading in a very tight race with Annuar Loitiptip (Jubilee) in Lamu County. With 99 per cent of the votes in, he was in the lead with 14,359 votes (30 per cent) followed closely by Mr Loitiptip with 14,163 votes (29 per cent).

INCUMBENTS

The Marsabit Senate seat was also up for grabs after Senator Mohamed Kuti opted to run for governor. Godana Hargura (Jubilee) was set to be the next senator, having garnered 55,458 votes (51 per cent), with 99 per cent of the votes tallied. Mr John Segelan (Frontier Alliance Party) was in second place with 41,633 votes (38 per cent).

Nominated MP Johnson Sakaja (Jubilee) was on his way to clinch the Nairobi senate seat. With 97 per cent of the votes counted, he was leading with 812,996 votes (51 per cent) of the vote.

Some of the senators who have retained their seats include Moses Wetang’ula (Bungoma), Kimani Wamatangi (Kiambu), Moses Kajwang’ (Homa Bay), Amos Wako (Busia), Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo-Marakwet), Mutula Kilonzo Junior (Makueni) and Gideon Moi (Baringo).