ODM’s loss in the Ugenya and Embakasi South by-elections is a sign of what will happen in 2022, North Mugirango Joash Nyamoko claims.
“In 2022, we will chase them out of town. The loss in the two by-elections is a sign of things to come in 2022,” the Jubilee MP, who is allied to Deputy President William Ruto, said yesterday.
Nyamoko, who chairs the caucus of MPs from Kisii and Nyamira county, said ‘Tanga Tanga’ is set for the 2022 polls.
“We will beat them hands down. They said a vote for Ochieng and Mawathe is a vote for Ruto and the voters listened to this message,” added Nyamoko.
He congratulated David Ochieng' and Justus Mawathe for clinching the Ogenya and Embakasi South parliamentary seats respectively.
Ochieng' pulled a surprise beating ODM’s Chris Karan. Ochieng' garnered 18, 730 votes against Karan’s 14, 507 while Mawathe retained his seat after beating Ishrad Sumra. Mawathe had 21,628 votes against ODM Sumra's 7,988.
ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna expressed disappointment that the party's candidates lost. "We had a tough day at the ballot. The entire ODM party team put in their best effort but we have come up short," he said.
ODM’s director of elections and Suna East MP Junet Mohammed said the party would review its performance in the two by-elections with a view to establishing what could have been done differently.
“In the two contests, the people have spoken in favour of politics of accommodation, tolerance, reason and embrace of each other and the wider national agenda. We applaud this,” added the MP.
