Kenyan-Born Australia Senator Lucy Gichuhi Defects to Liberal Party

Rarely does a conservative defect to a party with liberal ideas. In Australia however, Lucy Gichuhi, Kenyan-born Senator has done the unthinkable, ditching Family First-the party that nominated her to the senate,  and embracing Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's Liberal Party.The move, which came as a surprise, eases the coalition's pain in the Senate, reducing the size of the cross bench and boosting its numbers to 30.Senator Gichuhi said learning from Liberal politicians over the past nine months had convinced her to join the party."For me, this is an opportunity to learn how to serve South Australia," she told reporters in Adelaide."I have been a student - I mean literally, a student - learning from parliamentarians because as you may all know I'm not coming from a political background."The government will now require the votes of nine of 11 crossbenchers to pass legislation opposed by Labor and the Greens, rather than 10 of 12.Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is ecstatic about the surprise manoeuvre, which comes days before parliament's first sitting day for the year on Monday."She is a true Australian success story and we are honoured that she has chosen to join the Liberal Party," Mr Turnbull said."Lucy's values are fundamentally Liberal values; freedom of choice, conscience, thought and belief, a fair go, mutual obligation and contributing to society."Senator Gichuhi took Bob Day's seat following a vote recount after he was ruled ineligible to stand for election.She then quit Family First after it merged with the Australian Conservatives.Her defection is another boost for Mr Turnbull after the resignation of Labor MP David Feeney who was unable to prove he was no longer a British citizen.

In September last year, Senator Gichuhi threw her weight behind the No campaign, during the Same Sex debate survey,  arguing that legalising same-sex marriage would do nothing to “solve the disillusionment of our youth or the disintegration of the family.”