Three lawyers among five women elected county Speakers

Three lawyers are among four women elected county assembly Speakers as ward representatives are sworn in across the country.

The advocates, Florence Mwangangi, Elizabeth Ayoo and Hasnah Mudeizi Mbone were elected on Wednesday as Machakos, Homa Bay and Vihiga counties Speakers. The other two women who were elected are former Nominated Speaker Beatrice Elachi (Nairobi County) and Catherine Mukenyang (West Pokot County).

Beatrice Elachi, Nairobi County 

Elachi, who had been endorsed by the Jubilee Party emerged victorious after garnering 90 votes followed by her closest contender Abdi Ali who garnered 27 votes out of the 122 votes cast in an election witnessed by Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko and his deputy Polycarp Igathe who were watching the proceedings from the gallery.

Former Nairobi Chief of Staff George Wainaina only garnered four votes.

Elachi had on August 8 vied for the Dagoretti North Constituency seat on a Jubilee Party ticket but lost to incumbent Simba Arati.

Catherine Mukenyang, West Pokot County

Catherine Mukenyang, former West Pokot County Executive Committee (CEC) in-charge of Health made history after convincingly beating her only competitor former Speaker Robert Katina.

Mukenyang garnered 29 votes against Katina’s four votes.

Just like her colleague Elachi, Mukenyang had unsuccessfully vied on a KANU ticket for the county’s Woman Representative seat but lost to Jubilee’s Lilian Cheptoo Tomitom.

Elizabeth Ayoo, Homa Bay County                  

Ayoo became the new Homa Bay County Speaker after been elected in hotly-contested raceon that had attracted 13 candidates, winning in the second round vote.

Ayoo faced former Chief Protocol in Governor Cyprian Awiti’s first administration John Apollo.

Hasnah Mudeizi Mbone, Vihiga County

The Nairobi-based lawyer who was fronted by Amani National Congress also won in the second round vote after garnering 23 votes against her fierce rival  of Progressive Party of Kenya’s Wilberforce Ndula who got 15.

In the first round, Mbone got 16 votes against Ndula’s 15 with former Speaker Daniel Chitwa only managing three with lawyer Aggrey Musiega also achieving the same feat in the first round.

Florence Mwangangi, Machakos County

Florence Mwangangi has been elected Machakos County Assembly Speaker after garnering 41 votes with rival Bernard Mungata second with 18.