Waiguru, Ole Lenku, biggest winners as 23 governors seal re-election

Kirinyaga gubernatorial candidate Anne Waiguru during a media briefing

A comeback by veterans, new entrants, and some incumbents fending off stiff competition captured the mood in the counties as results came trickling in yesterday.

Twelve governors - Amason Kingi (Kilifi), Hassan Joho (Mombasa), Alfred Mutua (Machakos), Salim Mvurya (Kwale), Jackson Mandago (Uasin Gishu), Mwangi wa Iria (Murang’a), James Ongwae (Kisii), Sospeter Ojaamong (Busia), Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega), Samuel Tunai (Narok), Martin Wambora (Embu), and Moses Lenolkulal (Samburu) retained their seats.

Unassailable leads

Other big winners of the governor’s seat were former MP Ndiritu Muriithi (Laikipia), Ferdinard Waititu (Kiambu), Anne Waiguru (Kirinyaga), Francis Kimemia (Nyandarua), Joseph ole Lenku (Kajiado), Lee Kinyanjui (Nakuru), Anyang’ Nyong’o (Kisumu), Charity Ngilu (Kitui), and Kiraitu Murungi (Meru).

In Baringo, Kanu Chairman Gideon Moi was poised to retain the senator’s seat after beating Jubilee Party’s Simon Chelugui. Provisional results showed Gideon in the lead with 105,054 votes while Chelugui had polled 63,965 as vote counting neared completion.

Other Kanu candidates, including aspiring woman representative Gladwell Cheruiyot and William Kamket for the Tiaty parliamentary seat were also leading. The independence party won seven member of county assembly seats.

In West Pokot, John Lonyang’apuo led with 75,019 against incumbent Governor Simon Kachapin, who had 54,405 votes. For the senator’s seat, Samuel Poghisio of Kanu had polled 78,310 votes against Jubilee’s Julius Recha’s 50,494.

The veterans who bounced back are former Cabinet ministers Amos Kimunya and Njeru Ndwiga. Kimunya recaptured the Kipipiri parliamentary seat while Ndwiga was elected Embu senator. Also making a comeback as Ndaragwa MP is Jeremiah Kioni.

At the Coast, Joho was headed for a landslide after securing a huge lead against his main challengers, Suleiman Shahbal of Jubilee and Senator Hassan Omar of Wiper Democratic Movement.

In Kilifi, ODM swept the Ganze, Kaloleni, Kilifi South, Kilifi North, Kaloleni, and Magarini National Assembly seats. Stewart Madzayo retained his senatorial seat on the Orange ticket.

In Kwale, Governor Salim Mvurya, who defected from ODM to Jubilee, pulled a major surprise as he opened a wide lead in the governor’s race. His main challenger, Chirau Ali Mwakwere of Wiper, came second but rejected the results, claiming massive rigging.

In Nyandarua, Kimemia trounced four other candidates to win the governor’s seat. In Ol Kalou, David Kiaraho retained his seat while in Kinangop and Ol Jororok constituencies, youthful leaders Kwenya Thuku and Michael Muchira emerged the winners.

In Nakuru, Jubilee was poised to retain 10 out of the 11 parliamentary seats: Njoro, Molo, Bahati, Subukia, Gilgil, Naivasha, Kuresoi South, Kuresoi North, Nakuru Town East, and Nakuru Town West constituencies.

Kanu’s Raymond Moi retained the Rongai seat with 32,101 votes against Jubilee’s Andrew Kibet’s 25,219 votes.

In Naivasha, former MP Jayne Kihara was leading with 82,144 votes. Nominated Senator Martha Wangare had opened a wide lead with 50,808 votes against Paul Gitahi’s 14,891. Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri was headed for a second term. In Narok, Tunai was on course to victory in the governor’s seat as he led with 138,454 votes against his closest rival, Patrick Ntutu of Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM), who had polled 87,138.

In Bomet, Laboso was set to topple Governor Isaac Ruto as she had a commanding lead of 172,389 votes against his 83,601.

In Kajiado, Lenku was set to dislodge Governor David Nkedianye as he had polled 161,087 votes against the governor’s 132,808, with 729 of the 797 polling stations reporting.

In Samburu, Governor Moses Lenolkulal is also set to retain his seat after results from 271 polling stationst of the county’s 284 indicated that he was leading with 38,303 votes.

In Embu, Wambora, the Jubilee candidate, was leading with 92,234 votes (39.44 per cent) against Senator Lenny Kivuti (MCCP) who had polled 89,258 votes.

In Isiolo, Senator Mohammed Kuti, vying as an independent candidate for governor, was a clear front-runner, having polled 19,317 votes from 168 out of 195 polling stations.

In Marsabit, incumbent Governor Ukur Yattani of Frontier Alliance Party was set to lose to his 2013 rival, Muhamud Ali of Jubilee.

In Murang’a County, Wa Iria, who was the Jubilee flag-bearer, retained his seat as he garnered 346,121 votes.

County Woman Representative Sabina Chege also retained her seat, while outgoing Kiharu MP Irungu Kangata was elected senator.

Front-runners

In Maragua constituency, former MCA Mary Waithera is headed for a win as she garnered 46,381 votes while her opponent, Anthony Chege, had 15,620 votes out of 70,705 votes cast.

In Laikipia, President Mwai Kibaki’s nephew and former assistant minister Ndiritu Murithi was yesterday set to become the first independent governor in the country.

Muriithi had 98,293 votes against the man he felt robbed him of the Jubilee ticket, Joshua Irungu’s 96,567, with 98.68 per cent of the vote declared.

In Kiambu, Waititu won the governor’s seat and the incumbent, William Kabogo, conceded defeat. Waitutu of Jubilee amassed an unassailable lead of 737,795 votes against Kabogo’s 198,277 at 96.08 per cent tallying.

And with 95.28 per cent of the vote tallied in Uasin Gishu, Mandago of Jubilee was in the lead with 186,034 votes against Zedekiah Kiprop Bundotich Buzeki’s 139,439.

[Reporting by Julius Chepkwony , James Munyeki, Steve Mkawale, Robert Kiplagat, Steve Mkawale, Joseph Muchiri, Ali Abdi, Lydiah Nyawira, Boniface Gikandi, Joseph Muchiri, Joackim Bwana, Nikko Tanui, Benard Sanga, Joan Letting, John Oywa, and James Omoro]