Deputy President William Ruto has vowed to strike Kibra constituency again in the future after Jubilee candidate McDonald Mariga lost to Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party’s Imran Okoth in the Thursday mini-poll.
In a congratulatory message to Imran, the DP on Friday morning stated that despite the loss, the Jubilee party did well when compared to the 2017 election.
He noted that Jubilee doubled its support from 12 per cent in 2017 to 26 per cent in the yesterday poll.
Citing violence that was targeted at supporters allied to Mariga, the DP lauded them for daring what ODM believed was its “bedroom”.
“Pongezi Benard Okoth for Kibra. Congrats Mariga, Team Jubilee & supporters for daring the so-called ‘bedroom’, braving the chaos/violence, to double our vote from 12%(2017) to 26% now. Our competitors came down 78% (2017) to 52%, ” he wrote on Twitter.
“They retained the seat we have served notice.”
Pongezi Benard Okoth for Kibra. Congrats Mariga, Team Jubilee & supporters for daring the so called 'bedroom', braving the chaos/violence, to double our vote from 12%(2017) to 26% now. Our competitors came down 78% (2017) to 52%. They retained the seat we have served notice.
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) November 8, 2019
“Kibra you are amazing! In spite of questionable reinforcements, the con-handshake candidate narrative, the violence/ intimidation, you went past the gate, the door & voted Jubilee a third of ‘bedroom’. You have changed the politics of, not just Kibra but Kenya. We are indebted, ” he added.
Kibra you are amazing! In spite of questionable reinforcements ,the con-handshake candidate narrative, the violence/ intimidation, you went past the gate, the door & voted Jubilee a third of 'bedroom'. You have changed the politics of, not just Kibra but Kenya. We are indebted.
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) November 8, 2019
Read: Why Imran Okoth’s Win In Kibra Is No Big Deal
Imran was declared the winner of the poll after garnering 24,636 votes with Mariga, his closest rival, coming in second with 11,230 votes.
Eliud Owalo of Amani National Congress (ANC) came third with 5,275 votes followed by Khamisi Butichi of Ford Kenya with 260 votes. The race had attracted 24 candidates. The rest of the candidates managed less than 200 votes.
Mariga had already conceded defeat on Thursday night saying that he was happy the contest was peaceful.
The race was touted as a supremacy battle between the DP and ODM leader Raila Odinga ahead of the 2022 succession politics.
Read Also: Mariga Concedes Defeat In Kibra By-election, Congratulates Imran – Video
Many believe the DP’s move to field Mariga at Raila’s “stronghold” was tactical and one aimed at helping him position himself better for the 2022 presidential race where Raila might be one of his rivals.
@WilliamSRuto didn’t go to Kibra to loose. He has won. He wanted to know who is interested in challenging him.
He paraded a novice who neither knew how to campaign nor even vote.
The novice has come second and Ruto now knows all his enemies. #KibraDecides
— Robert ALAI, HSC (@RobertAlai) November 7, 2019
Congratulations ODM. Congratulations Mariga.
Jubilee has almost tripled its support in Kibra.
Brilliant! pic.twitter.com/bkM300QroB
— -Dennis Itumbi, CBS (@OleItumbi) November 7, 2019
Mariga went into the race disadvantaged after a number of Jubilee leaders publicly declared support for Imran.
Some of the leaders include Kirinyaga Governor Ann Waiguru, nominated lawmaker Maina Kamanda, former Nairobi Woman Representative Rachael Shebesh (Current Youth and Gender Affairs Chief Administrative Secretary) among others.
Read Also: IEBC Declares Imran Okoth Kibra MP-Elect
The leaders joined ODM to campaign for Imran in Kibra saying he was the handshake candidate.
President Kenyatta didn’t also come out to campaign for Mariga, save for the “endorsement” pictures that surfaced online.
Ms Waiguru has already congratulated Imran.
Congratulations to Kibra MP Elect @ImranOkoth & Kibra people for voting in a true son of Kibra. Thank you for honouring the handshake. Walikucheka lakini #kwagroundvitunidifferent. Long live the #Handshake ; forward, onward to #BBI#volumeikosawa?#KibraDecides
— Anne Waiguru EGH, OGW (@AnneWaiguru) November 7, 2019
However, the post attracted mixed reactions with a section claiming her support was “inconsequential”.
“With all due respect to my Governor. The results confirm that Raila Odinga wing of the handshake voted for Imran Okoth ..but from the vote tonight, neither You, nor Dennis Waweru, or Maina Kamanda, Rachel Shebesh & others swayed the vote. You gave baba a RAW deal! ” opined State House Director of Communication Dennis Itumbi.
With all due respect to my Governor. The results confirm that @RailaOdinga wing of the handshake voted for @ImranOkoth ..but from the vote tonight, neither You, nor Dennis Waweru, or Maina Kamanda, Rachel Shebesh & others swayed the vote. You gave baba a RAW deal! @EmmanuelTalam https://t.co/klc7XR3hhT
— -Dennis Itumbi, CBS (@OleItumbi) November 7, 2019
Kirinyaga people were not part of kibra. They want good milk prices, good coffee prices and good tea prices. Will #BBI cure these problems? Will kibra win add any value to us?
— Ndege (@fran_ndege) November 8, 2019
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