Muturi issues writs for Kibra parliamentary seat

Parliament Speaker Justin Muturi. [Wilberforce Okwiri/Standard]

The race to succeed the late Ken Okoth as Kibra MP is formally on after National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi (pictured) declared the seat vacant.

In a Gazette Notice published yesterday, Muturi issued a notice to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to organise by-election to fill in the vacancy occasioned by Okoth’s death.

“In pursuance of the provision of section 16 (3) of the Elections Act, 2011, I command you that, due notice being given you do cause election to be held according to law of a member to serve in the National Assembly for the said constituency,” reads the notice.

And now IEBC will roll out a programme for different parties to field candidates.

Although Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has expressed that it does not have a favourite candidate for the upcoming Kibra Constituency by-election, several candidates have expressed interest.

While assuring interested politicians of a fair candidate selection process, ODM Executive Director Oduor Ong’wen last week urged members to be patient as ODM prepares for the poll.

“It has been less than two weeks since we lost MP Ken Okoth,” Ong’wen had said.

Already a number of politicians have already expressed interest to vie on the ticket of ODM, which has a huge following in the constituency.

Okoth’s family has pleaded with ODM leader Raila Odinga to endorse Imran Okoth, MP Okoth's former personal assistant and step-brother, arguing that Imran is the right person for the job since he stood in for the MP as he sought cancer treatment in France.

“We want to appeal to Raila to see if he can give one of the family members that opportunity to take care of the next three years. Already we have one person in mind, Imran. He was the personal assistant to Ken and was the one taking care of everything when Ken was sick for almost three years,” said Okoth’s maternal nephew Elvis Oluoch.