William Ruto set to control Senate after bagging 24 seats
Kenya Kwanza Presidential candidate William Ruto at a media briefing at his Karen Residence on August 6, 2022.
UDA presidential Kenya Kwanza leader William Ruto is set to control the Senate after bagging a majority of the seats across the country in the just concluded election, whose tallying of the presidential results is underway.
DP Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Alliance (KKA) has gotten 24 senators compared to 23 of Azimio La Umoja One Kenya under the stewardship of Raila Odinga.
United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has bagged the seats majorly from President Uhuru Kenyatta’s political bastion of Mt Kenya and Dr Ruto’s backyard of Rift Valley.
Dr Ruto has also gotten one senate each from Kakamega, Marsabit and Tana River Counties.
“It is now official; Kenya Kwanza controls the Senate. Thank you Kenyans for the trust,” Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen posted on his Twitter handle.
This is a bit down from the number Jubilee had after the 2017 General Election when it claimed 27 out of 47 available seat and is assured of more nominated senator slots, based on its performance in this election.
Unlike in the previous election, Mr Odinga’s side has increased its Senate numbers by two because it had 20 in the last Parliament.
Before the election, Dr Ruto had exuded confidence that he will control both the National Assembly and the Senate whether or not he wins the presidency.
UDA fielded 261 National Assembly candidates out of 290 constituencies countrywide, complemented by addition of candidates fielded by affiliate parties under the Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
Dr Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza allies, Musalia Mudavadi of Amani National Congress (ANC) and Moses Wetang’ula of Ford Kenya, had respectively sponsored 71 and 34 candidates for National Assembly.
For the 47 Senate seats, UDA had 38 candidates. It also had 43 candidates for county Woman Rep race.
