Barring Questions On Her Citizenship, Lucy Gichuhi Set to Become First Kenyan-Born Senator In Australia (Video)

During last year’s federal election campaign, Lucy Gichuhi told of her life as a 10-year-old girl in Kenya, where her primary school classes were mostly taught outside, under a tree.By the time the ballots were counted, the political novice had picked up 152 first preference votes as Family First’s second Senate candidate in South Australia, behind the incumbent Bob Day.However, in an unexpected turn of events today, The High Court has ruled that Bob Day was not eligible to sit in the Senate. The former senator was sunk by a complex commercial deal he struck over his electorate office. The Commonwealth leased space at a building previously owned by Mr Day to house his electorate office — with the rent going into an account controlled by him. But the Constitution specifically says candidates for Parliament must not have a "direct or indirect financial interest" in any agreement with the Commonwealth.That means Mr Day's re-election last year was unconstitutional. So he has to go. And now eyes are on the candidate who placed second in last year's  election:Kenyan born Lucy Gichuhi. Political analysts agree it is likely Ms Gichuhi would soon become South Australia’s 12th senator.The next process is a recount of the votes and it is expected to that Ms Gichuhi will be elected, handing the Turnbull government an extra conservative vote in the upper house.Asked on Wednesday if she would be a reliable vote for the Coalition, as Mr Day had been, she replied that she had an “independent mind”.She also faced questions about whether she had renounced her Kenyan citizenship, which could bring her own eligibility into question.“I’ve never been a dual citizen,” she told reporters. “I won’t go into any details on that matter but I will say I am not a dual citizen.”Constitutional law expert Anne Twomey said it was probable she would be “OK” because in taking up the Australian citizenship her Kenyan citizenship was automatically wiped out. But the court may need to interpret Kenyan law to ultimately resolve the issue, she said.A Kenyan citizenship drama? Where have we heard that before? CNN online, April 27, 2011:“The White House released copies of President Barack Obama’s original long-form birth certificate Wednesday, seeking to put an end to persistent rumours that he was not born in the United States … Doubters insist Obama was born overseas — possibly in his father’s home country of Kenya — and may be constitutionally ineligible to serve as president.”“Don’t tell Trump about Lucy”  CBS News online wrote on September 16, 2016.Ms. Gichuhi received her Bachelor of Law from the University of South Australia in November 2015, and also has a Bachelor of Commerce degree. She had previously worked at Ernst and Young and the SA Auditor-General's department where she developed programs introducing migrants and international students to the state.Born in Kenya, Ms Gichuhi moved to Adelaide with husband William and their three children in 1999. They had “well under $1000” to their names.In a few months, the couple both had jobs, and a “few short years later”, they had also bought a home.“We had no concept of welfare,” she said in video posted to social media, in which she also described herself as a supporter of “financial freedom”.Ms Gichuhi recounted attending a rural primary school with “no real classrooms” and where “lessons were conducted under a tree”.She walked to school “barefoot because my parents could not afford the luxury of shoes and [to] feed their 10 children at the same time”.“I remember there was only one room and children and teachers took turns to use the room,” she said.https://youtu.be/gMjJ3B_0C5g“I remember the lack of access to medical and dental care very clearly. I had my tooth pulled out by older members of the community without administering any anaesthetic.”Mr Day’s replacement will be sworn in on May 9 – the same day the budget will be handed down.Ms Gichuhi’s election hinges on whether the High Court instructs the Australian Electoral Commission to include above-the-line votes for Family First in the recount.If those group ticket votes are considered invalid, it may hand the vacant upper house seat to former Labor senator Anne McEwen.But Monash University political expert Dr Zareh Ghazarian said Ms Gichuhi was the clear favourite.“Unless there’s some unexpected twist as the votes are recounted, the most likely thing is that she will be elected,” he said.He said that would be a boost to the government’s position in the Senate, as “they’ve made deals with Family First in the past”.Political analyst William Bowe agreed, saying was “certain” she would win the recount.