Chanzu, Khalwale clinch tickets to contest August polls

Vihiga MP Yusuf Chanzu. He won the ANC nominations for governorship. [Photo: Eric Lungai, Standard]

Vihiga MP Yusuf Chanzu won the ANC ticket to contest for governorship as Senator Boni Khalwale got a direct Ford Kenya ticket to vie for a similar seat in Kakamega County.

Nairobi lawyer Mike Osundwa also got direct nomination from ANC and joins Khalwale in the contest to unseat Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya.

Chanzu beat his closest rival Josphat Amadi by just around 3,000 votes. He garnered 16,450 votes against Amadi’s 13,386 to be declared the winner.

Litmus test

“I am now more focused on the August polls after this win. I am determined that the many months I have put in a spirited fight for the governorship will bring results. I want to see the best of Vihiga County through better leadership,” said Chanzu.

In the woman representative race, Beatrice Adagala floored Mary Amalemba by garnering 50,412 against 8,400.

Other winners for the Member of Parliament slots included former Mumias Sugar Finance Manager Ernest Ogesi Kivai for Vihiga and Arthur Apungu for Luanda.

Sabatia MP Alfred Agoi was unopposed. A newcomer in the region politics Harun Muturi was also unopposed for Hamisi parliamentary ANC ticket.

It was a litmus test for Musalia Mudavadi’s ANC as it held its first ever primaries in Vihiga County, that is his home turf.

Many aspirants in the party, however, expressed their displeasure with the manner in which the nominations had been conducted. They termed the primaries shambolic.

In Kakamega County, Likuyani MP Enock Kibunguchi (Ford-K) also bagged a direct ticket.

Lugari MP Ayub Savula, too, was handed a direct ticket by ANC.

Mahiakalo MCA Cleophas Malala garnered 123,582 votes to trounce his rival Alex Mukabwa who got 9,200 votes in ANC senatorial contest while veteran journalist Lydia Pamela Inyangala garnered 19,279 votes to emerge victorious in woman representative duel.

In Shinaylu ANC’s parliamentary contest, Meja Adrian emerged the winner with 2,300 votes while Evans Daraja snatched away victory from rivals in Likuyani by garnering 11,252 votes.

In ANC’s Mumias East parliamentary contest, David Wamatsi managed 16,250 votes to finish ahead of the pack.

ANC has indicated that it will repeat the exercise in Malava and dismissed push by losers in other areas to have the exercise conducted afresh.