By James Ratemo and Sam Otieno
Dr Eliud Wabukala is the new Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya, the second largest Christian denomination in Kenya.
He will succeed the Right Reverend Benjamin Nzimbi who retires in June.
In a four-hour long election, Wabukala, 58, trounced three other contestants to become the fifth ACK Archbishop.
His closest competitor was Bishop Joseph Wasonga who he beat in the fourth round. Wasonga, who is also the Maseno West Diocese bishop, lost to Nzimbi in 2003. Taita Taveta Bishop, Samson Mwaluda and his Kitale counterpart Stephen Kewasis lost in the first and the second rounds.
Wabukala has been a bishop since October 1996, and has served Bungoma Diocese for the last 13 years.
The new Archbishop will be consecrated at the All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi in June.
Yesterday, a beaming Wabukala dressed in a purple robe emerged from the wooden doors of the All Saints Cathedral 25 minutes after he was elected. The exercise was private.
The new ACK Archbishop Eliud Wabukala(centre) with the Church’s Secretary General Lawrence Dena (right) and Reverend Reuben Kibaba after elections, Friday. [PHOTO: EVANS HABIL/STANDARD]
Before the elections, the four contenders held a service then vetted members of the Electoral College. 
No mobile phones were allowed into the voting room to ensure the results were not leaked.
At 2.45 pm, the bells of the Cathedral rang to indicate the exercise was over and a new Archbishop had been elected.
Claims discounted
The new Archbishop then led the Electoral College in a brief Mass before walking out of the Cathedral. The Dean Bishop, Stephen Njihia Mwangi announced the results.
He dismissed claims the contenders had used money to influence the election outcome
"Those are lies. Nobody can use money in this exercise. If one does that, they are disqualified," said Njihia.
In his acceptance speech, Wabukala promised to spearhead peace and national reconciliation.
"I will continue from where my predecessor left…I call for reconciliation and harmony in all dioceses. Nchi yetu hivi sasa watu wahitaji kuja pamoja (the country need unity especially now), " he said. Born in 1951, Wabukala said his greatest challenge would be to ensure that communities lived in harmony.
For one to win, they have to bag 75 per cent of the 102 votes. In the event that none of the contenders acquires the percentage, then a run-off between the two top candidates is held and eventual winner decided by a simple majority.
Unlike the Roman Catholic Church where a white smoke is raised after the election of a Pope, Anglicans ring a bell to symbolise that a new archbishop has been picked.
The election is estimated to have cost Sh13 million for transport and accommodation of the Electoral College.
Church over the year
Provincial Chancellor, Lawyer Tom Onyango said 162 were present but five did not vote.
The history of the church dates back to 1844 when the first missionary, Dr Johann Ludwig Krapf, arrived in Ribe, Mombasa.
Reverend Johann Rebman joined Krapf two years later.
After mastering Kiswahili, Krapf translated the book of Genesis chapter 1-3 in 1847. This was a big boost to their missionary work.
Reverend Festo Olang’ and Reverend Obadiah Kariuki became the first African Bishops of the church. The Archbishop of Canterbury consecrated the two in Uganda in 1955.
Olang’ would later be elected ACK’s first African Archbishop in 1970. The Most Reverend Dr Manasses Kuria was later elected the second Archbishop of the church, to succeed Olang’ who retired in 1980.
Kuria retired and Dr David Gitari was elected to replace him in 1998. The church changed its name from Church of the Province of Kenya to the Anglican Church of Kenya the same year. In 2003, Benjamin Nzimbi was elected as fourth archbishop.
The first two dioceses of Maseno North and Maseno South were formed in 1971. This was during the church’s consultative council that represented world Anglicanism, held in Limuru.
In 1954, ACK, Presbyterian and Methodist started St Paul’s United Theological College in Limuru.