Magelo elected Speaker of Nairobi's county assembly

     

The newly elected Mombasa County Wards Representatives at the Mombasa County Assembly hall during the swearing in ceremony, March 22, 2013. Mr Alex Ole Magelo, a former Kenya Premier league club chairman is the first Speaker of Nairobi County Assembly. 

By EDWIN MUTAI

Posted  Friday, March 22  2013 at  15:11

Mr Alex Ole Magelo, a former Kenya Premier league club chairman is the first Speaker of Nairobi County Assembly.Mr Magelo, the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy candidate trounced his closest rival from the Jubilee coalition, former City Hall councillor Mutanga Mutungi by one vote.The former AFC Leopards club chairman failed to clinch victory in the first round of votes garnering 43 votes against Mr Mutungi’s 42. Magelo polled the same votes in the second ballot to be declared winner.The law requires a candidate to garner a two-thirds majority to be declared winner in the first ballot. A simple majority will suffice in the second round pitying the first and second candidate who get the highest votes in the first election.The election of the first speaker of the capital city was preceded by the swearing in ceremony of the 85 elected County Representatives at Nairobi’s Charter Hall.A similar exercise was conducted concurrently in the 47 county assemblies which were created under the Constitution of Kenya 2010.The swearing in ceremony, which was conducted in an orderly fashion unlike the case during the election of mayors and committee chairmen in the defunct civic bodies, was overseen by High Court Judges.In Nairobi, which will be under the administration of governor-elect Dr Evans Kidero, High Court Judge Msagha Mbogholi president over the swearing in ceremony and the election of the Speaker.

There was tight security in and around Charter Hall as the 85 assembly members took the oath or affirmation of office following their election in the March 4 General Election. The scenario was the same in the other counties countrywide.County Governments play a critical role in the provision of services decentralized from the central governments.Working through county executive committees and the county assemblies, the 47 County Governments will oversee agricultural, health, transport, public works, pre-primary education, planning and development functions at the local level.