ODM's Pavel Oimeke wins Bonchari by-election

In Summary

• Oimeke, a former Energy Petroleum Regulatory Authority director, garnered 8,049 votes to emerge victorious.

• Jubilee Party's Zebedeo Opore got 7,279 votes to take second position while UDA's Teresa Bitutu took position three with 6,964 votes.

ODMs Pavel Oimeke receives certificate from Bonchari Returning Officer Benson Ambuko on May 19th 2021.
ODMs Pavel Oimeke receives certificate from Bonchari Returning Officer Benson Ambuko on May 19th 2021.
Image: MAGATI OBEBO

ODM candidate Pavel Oimeke is Kisii's Bonchari new MP elect.

Oimeke, a former Energy Petroleum Regulatory Authority director, garnered 8,049 votes to emerge victorious.

Jubilee Party's Zebedeo Opore got 7,279 votes to take second position while UDA's Teresa Bitutu took position three with 6,964 votes.

On Tuesday, Oimeke had to wade through what he he described as the' sweltering heat of intimidation and harassment of many of his supporters to secure sweet victory'.

In the larger scheme of things, the election provided the ODM party in Kisii with a new platform to consolidate its new gains.

It is the first seat parliamentary seat for the party after a loss in 2018.

No other MP save for Senator Sam Ongeri and Woman rep were elected on the ODM ticket.

UDA, affiliated to Deputy President William Ruto, was said to be on a marketing campaign even as it took position three.

Bitutu is the widow to the late MP Oroo Oyioka who died of Covid in December, 2020.

The results were announced by Returning officer Benson Ambuko at 4.55am on Wednesday.

The polls, said Oimeke, took place in a heavily 'militarized environment'.

Oimeke cast his vote at Nyamare Primary, but spoke of contingents of armed security personnel sent to the region 'scare away voters'.

They however failed to dampen the spirit of the voters across the 103 polling stations in the constituency which rose early Tuesday and queued to pick him as winner, added Oimeke.

The former EPRA director will be the first of the ODM parliamentary aspirants to win on the seat.

Oyioka was in the People's Democratic Party, an outfit associated with former South Mugirango MP Omingo Magara.

Magara has since reached out to UDA in partnership deal and did join other Tangatanga brigade in drumming up support for the UDA candidate Bitutu.

Bitutu, who is the widow to late MP, Oroo Oyioka, separately, put a spirited fight nearly relegating experienced Opore.

He further found it hard to brush the tag of being a 'government project'.

Police deployed to region told journalists they were under instructions to 'forestall planned violence' in the constituency polls.

There was no incident of violence save for the few isolated incidents of thuggery.

The poll was however largely marked by voter apathy.

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