By Standard Team
Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyattaâs party, The National Alliance has stamped its presence on the political map after its candidates easily won by-elections in Kangema and Kajiado North.
It also sent the clear message that TNA is the party to beat in Central Kenya come the March 4 General Election.
Prime Minister Raila Odingaâs Orange Democratic Movement ( ODM) candidate also won by a landslide in Ndhiwa to retain the seat formerly held by the late Orwa Ojode.
TNA scooped the Kangema seat that was held by the late Cabinet Minister John Michuki as well the Kajiado North seat that was held by the late Prof George Saitoti who dies in a helicopter crash that also killed his deputy Ojode and four police officers.
Moses Ole Sakuda who was touted as the front runner for the Kajiado North seat on a TNA ticket beating his closest rival, ODMâs Peter Ole Mositet.
ODM ran away as expected with the Ndhiwa seat with Augustine Neto beating his two other contestants Tom Otieno of Kanu and TNAâs Rosemary Mumo.
A promised challenge by the Kanu candidate in Ndhiwa dissolved quickly as the vote count rolled in. Raila had jested that he would not run for the presidency if ODM lost the seat.Â
By the time of going to press in Kajiado after counting 80 out of 117 polling stations Sakuda had garnered 24,840 which is 55 per cent of the total votes cast followed by ODMâs Mositet with 12,955 or 35 per cent.
In Kangema, Ngahu, who was also the preferred candidate of the late Michukiâs family, garnered 13,752 votes in the 47 polling stations followed by Simon Kamau of UDF who emerged a distant second with 2,981 votes.
In Ndhiwa, Neto got 21,565 votes in the 140 polling stations following by Tom Otieno Alila with 2,290 votes and Kanuâs Rosemary Rumo had 216.
Earlier in the day as the voting got underway both Sakuda and Mositet had exuded confidence in winning the seat, but Sakuda had the last laugh.
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