Former Senator Mong'are Bw'okong'o declares interest for Nyamira Assembly speaker's seat

Nyamira County Governor-elect John Nyagarama

Former Nyamira County Senator Mong'are Bw'okong'o has declared his interest for the County Assembly speaker's seat.

Bw'okongo unsuccessfully vied for the County's governor seat. He lost to incumbent John Nyagarama. The National Liberal party leader said on Monday he was competent to take up the job and was planning to fill the nomination form and submit it to the county clerk.

The senator had launched his bid for the presidency ahead of the 2017 general election under the Federal Party of Kenya saying his decision was driven by his belief that Kenyans have been betrayed by subsequent governments since independence.

In February last year, he was elected to chair the Senate Public Accounts Committee after beating Kakamega Senator Bonny Khalwale in a secret ballot, moments later he was dewhipped.

According to Bw'okongo, his experience as a lawyer and a member of the Senate Public Accounts committee gives him enough expertise to oversee the Nyamira County Assembly.

"Majority of those members joining the Assembly are new and need somebody of y caliber to lead them into prosperity. We need a sober mind to lead members through the legislative process. I will with their issues amicably," he says.

In Kisii, outgoing speaker Kerosi Ondieki will face lawyers Gideon Nyambati and Isiah Mosota. The two new contenders are not new in the county assembly; Mosota lost the Bobasi Bointangare MCA seat, a position he has held for the last five years.

Nyambati runs a successful law firm in Kisii and has been serving as the County Assembly legal officer.

A person is eligible for election as a member of a county assembly if the person is registered as a voter and satisfies any educational, moral and ethical requirements prescribed by the Constitution.

He should also have been nominated by a political party or an independent candidate supported by at least five hundred registered voters in the Ward concerned.