 In the first round of voting, Marende, who was the candidate of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) for the position of Speaker, received 104 votes, while the government's candidate, Francis ole Kaparo, received 99 votes; in the second round Marende received 104 votes and Kaparo received 102.Although a two-thirds majority was required in the first two rounds, subsequently only a simple majority was required, and Marende was elected in the third round with 105 votes against 101 for Kaparo.He was elected to his first term as an MP for Emuhaya Constituency on a NARC party ticket in the 2002 election.