Former Makadara MP Benson Mutura has been declared the Nairobi assembly speaker after garnering 99 votes.
“I hereby declare Mr Benson Mutura the new Nairobi County Assembly Speaker having attained more than the required two-thirds majority votes,” acting Speaker John Kamangu said.
There are 122 MCAs in the Nairobi assembly.
Voting took place on Friday afternoon and Mutura took oath after winning the election.
Mutura pledged to serve all MCAs equally and urged them to support his office.
Addressing the members, Mutura said he was ready to work with the whole House.
“ I understand the roles of the Speaker and I will attend to all MCAs regardless of the party,” he said.
He thanked President Uhuru Kenyatta and the Jubilee Party for having faith in him to take the position.
Mutura also thanked the minority side for also voting for him.
He emphasized on the need to support the Nairobi Metropolitan Service as an assembly.
“NMS is like a newborn and we must take care of the office as instructed by the President,” Mutura said.
Mutura was among six candidates shortlisted for the position of Nairobi Speaker.
The post fell vacant after Beatrice Elachi resigned on Tuesday citing life threatening incidences among other issues.
The others were Abdi Ali Abdi, Odingo Odhiambo Washington, Mike Obonyo Guoro, Allan Chacha Mang’era, Kennedy Okeyo Ng’ondi.
MCAs will on Friday elect the new speaker .
Elachi ended her term as first woman speaker of the capital’s assembly, closing a chaotic chapter marred by supremacy battles with suspended clerk Jacob Ngwele and Governor Mike Sonko.
Acting clerk Pauline Akuku announced the vacancy in the office of speaker.
Mutura was born on September 7, 1972 in Kiambu.
He is married and has three children.
Education Background
Between 1986-1990 Mutura attended Dagoretti High School where he sat for his KCSE.
He joined Graffin College the following year where he earned a certificate in Computer Service.
From 1993-1995 Mutura went to Kenya Polytechnic (current Technical University of Kenya) and acquired a Diploma in Procurement and Supplies.
He later got admitted at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology from 2006-2010 and studied for a Bachelor of Science in Governance and Leadership.
From 2010 -2014, Mutura enrolled at the Kenya Methodist University for a Bachelor of Business Commerce and graduated with a Second Class Honours (Upper Division)
Work experience
Mutura was one of the councilors who became an MP after the March 4, 2013 General Election.
He was the Former Kimathi Ward councilor.
Under the TNA party ticket, Mutura became Makdara MP.
He had garnered 37,644 votes, beating former Nairobi Mayor George Aladwa who got 36,079 votes.
However, in the last August General Election in 2017, Mutura under the Jubilee Party ticket lost to ODM’s George Aladwa .
Aladwa garned 41,874 votes while Mutura had 39,731 votes.