Hyena testicles pledge cost Wajackoyah the presidency, Jaymo Ule Msee says

George Wajackoyah's spokesperson Jaymo Ule Msee. [File, Standard]

Roots Party spokesperson Jaymo Ule Msee now claims that George Wajackoyah's pledge to harvest and sell hyena testicles cost the presidential candidate a win in the elections.

This is despite Wajackoyah placing a distant third in the August 9, 2022 presidential race with only 61,969 votes (0.44 per cent).

The Roots Party candidate was defeated by William Ruto of UDA, who got 7.18 million votes (50.49 per cent) and Raila Odinga of Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya, who polled 6.94 million votes.

In the run-up to the presidential polls, Wajackoyah, a perceived wildcard in the race, pledged to offset Kenya's Sh8.6 trillion by legalising the farming and sale of bhang, selling hyena testicles at high costs and harvesting snake venom for sale.

The presidential candidate said the three trade areas would raise trillions of shillings for Kenya as the two "products" would be sold to foreign nations for medicinal purposes.

Speaking on Spice FM on Wednesday morning, Jaymo Ule Msee, whose real name is Wilson Muirania Gathoni, said the hyena testicles pledge made Wajackoyah lose a significant number of votes.

"The hyena testicles pledge affected us a lot. It cost us the votes," Jaymo said.

"When Wajackoyah explained the parts' prices, many people stopped taking his candidature seriously," said Jaymo.

The pledge attracted criticism from animal rights activists, who warned that if the proposal gets implemented, then hyenas could become extinct.

The activists further said hyenas, who are scavengers, play an important role in the ecosystem.

Jaymo Ule Msee said Wajackoyah's hyena pledge shouldn't have been understood in its literal sense.

"We did not get the chance to explain to Kenyans what we really meant," he said.

"What Wajackoyah meant, was that Kenya is a rich country that has the potential of producing a lot of products and exporting them to developed nations. The proceeds would help us offset our debts."