Naftal Onkoba of ODM clinches Nyacheki Ward seat

Nyacheki MCA elect Naftal Onkoba (left) and Kisii Governor James Ongwae (right). (Photo: Eric Abuga/Standard)

Kisii: The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has won the Nyacheki County Assembly Ward seat.

The ODM candidate Naftal Onkoba emerged the winner with 2,216 votes against his closet rival Maxwell Magoma of Jubilee Party garnered 1,173 votes.

Caleb Onguti of Kenya National Congres (KNC) came third with 979 votes. Isaac Areba of Wiper had the least votes; 17.

A total of 6,738 voters were cast representing 62 percent of the total. A total of 112 votes were rejected.

Onkoba expressed confidence with the IEBC saying the exercise had been fair and free.

"I am happy for the victory. I thank my party leader Raila Odinga and all other leaders in the party who stood with me during the campaign period. We now start a journey to transform Nyacheki Ward and Kisii County at large," said Onkoba.

The exercise had been marred by chaos with a section MPs from Kisii County facing the wrath of residents. The leaders were accused of attempts to bribe voters in the ODM strongholds.

Jubilee leaders in Kisii will now be forced to go back to the drawing board after several weeks of drumming up support for the newly formed party.

The win for the ODM party is a major boost for Kisii Governor James Ongwae who maintained his loyalty to the party despite parting ways with majority of ODM leaders from Kisii County.

In the past one month, Governor Ongwae has had to traverse the Ward initiating a number of development projects including opening up access roads and drilling boreholes.

Ongwae's associates believe this was a war between governor Ongwae and 10 other elected leaders.

Homabay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga, her Nyamira Counterpart Alice Chae, Kitutu Masaba MP Timothy Bosire and nominated senator Janet Ongera had been camping at the tallying center, Isena PAG Secondary, since 6pm when the results started streaming in.

Bosire congratulated Onkoba saying the party will replicate the same in the next general elections.

"This is a deserving victory. We have begun our journey to State House and nothing can stop. We are ready to take over leadership in the next general elections," said Bosire.

Senator Ongera said that Nyacheki people had spoken on behalf of the entire county.

"Onkoba represents the Youth who have stood in solidarity to reject leaders with selfish interests. The Gusii community is united and let our competitors be warned that we a force to reckon with," said Ms Ongera.