Three out of five MPs in the 11th Parliament voted out
At least 166 out of 290 members of the National Assembly lost their positions after being floored by their opponents during the August 8 General elections.
This means three out of every five MPs or 60 per cent who served in the 11th Parliament were voted out. Only 119 out of 290 MPS were re-elected.
Irungu Kang'ata (Kiharu), Mithika Linturi (Imenti East), Gideon Mung'aro (Kilifi North) and Hezron Awiti (Nyali) opted not defend their seats and went for other posts.
The gamble paid off for Kang'ata and Linturi after both of them were elected as senators in Murang'a and Meru respectively. Mung'aro and Awiti were however not lucky after they failed to clinch the Kilifi and Mombasa governors’ seats.
During the 2013 election, independent candidates Wesley Korir (Cherangany), John Serut (Mt Elgon), Gatobu Kinoti (Buuri) and Patrick Musimba (Kibwezi West) made their way to Parliament.
Of the four, only Musimba was re-elected. Kinoti, who had indicated that he would vie for the Meru governor’s seat, chose not to contest at the eleventh hour while Korir and Serut lost.
A record 23 women were elected as members of the National Assembly from various parts of the country, up from 16 in 2013.
The casualties were much higher in the Woman Representative race across the country, with voters sending home 32 out of the 47 MPs.
This means that four out of five County Woman Representatives (68 per cent) were rejected.
In last week’s polls, five Woman Reps: Mishi Mboko (Mombasa), Aisha Jumwa (Kilifi), Rachel Ameso (Kakamega), Dorcas Kedogo (Vihiga) and Eusilah Ng'eny (Uasin Gishu) did not defend their seats.
Both Mishi and Jumwa won National Assembly seats in Likoni and Malindi respectively, while Ameso and Kedogo failed to bag the Khwisero and Vihiga parliamentary seats respectively.
Ngeny, on the other hand, was trounced during the Soy Parliamentary seat Jubilee party primaries in Uasin Gishu County.
There was equally high turnover in the senatorial race, with only 14 out of the 35 senators making a comeback.
Twelve out of the 47 elected Senators decided to run for governor.
Five outgoing senators Mike Sonko (Nairobi) John Lonyangapuo (West Pokot), Stephen Sang (Nandi), Kiraitu Murungi (Meru) and Peter Anyang’ Nyong'o (Kisumu) were elected as governors after ditching positions.
Senators Hassan Omar (Mombasa), Boni Khalwale (Kakamega) Chris Obure (Kisii), John Munyes (Turkana) and James Mungai (Nakuru) lost their bids for governorship.
Other senators who lost the war for governorships were David Musila who contested for the Kitui seat on an independent ticket and Maendeleo Chap Chap's Lenny Kivuti of Embu.
For the first time, the Senate will have three elected women, namely Margaret Kamar (Uasin Gishu), Susan Kihika (Nakuru) and Fatuma Dullo (Isiolo).
