- Returning officer told aspirants who were not satisfied with the results to register their complaints with their national office.
- Some MCAs have asked the ODM National Elections Board to repeat the election.
Image: ROBERT OMOLLO
Image: ROBERT OMOLLO
Two incumbent MPs who were subjected to ODM primaries in Homa Bay won the party tickets after trouncing opponents in their respective constituencies.
The results also saw more than half of the incumbent MCAs floored by their competitors for the ODM tickets.
In Ndhiwa, incumbent MP Martin Owino and his Karachuonyo counterpart Adipo Okuome were declared winners after garnering 5,196 votes and 4,286 votes respectively.
Owino defeated his arch rival Michael Agwanda who came in second after getting 2,233 votes while Okuome was closely followed by Samuel Ogutu who got 2,271 votes.
The ticket for Ndhiwa attracted nine aspirants while Karachuonyo had 15 contestants.
The county returning officer Caroline Angote also announced the former Kisumu executive member for Roads Joyce Osogo as the party candidate for Homa Bay woman representative seat.
Osogo garnered 16,886 votes and was closely followed by former Homa Bay executive member for Energy Beatrice Ogolla who garnered 15,415 votes.
Speaking when she released the results at Homa Bay Boys High School on Friday, Angote told aspirants who were not satisfied with the results to register their complaints with their national office.
“Those who feel dissatisfied with the results we’ve announced should register them with us at the head office. We can’t address those issues now,” Angote said.
MPs Owino and Okuome were subjected to nominations as five others were given direct tickets. Those who got direct tickets are Millie Odhiambo (Suba North), Peter Kaluma (Homa Bay Town), Eve Obara (Kabondo Kasipul), Ongondo Were (Kasipul) and Lillian Gogo (Rangwe).
Raila Odinga's former aide Caroli Omondi was handed the ticket for Suba South parliamentary seat. Direct ticket was also handed to Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga to contest gubernatorial seat as well as Senator Moses Kajwang to defend his seat.
But as the MPs bagged the ODM ticket, most MCAs lost to their opponents.
Homa Bay County Assembly has 60 MCAs where 40 are elected while 20 are nominated. The county has eight constituencies.
Out of 40 elected MCAs, 38 of them were elected on ODM ticket in 2017.
Some of the MCAs who lost include current assembly majority leader George Okello of North Kabuoch ward and majority whip Dan Were of Kakelo Kokwanyo.
They were defeated by Boaz Khiri while majority Whip Dan Were lost to Paul Miruka.
All the four incumbent MCAs from Homa Bay Town constituency lost the ticket to their rivals.
The MCAs who lost were Juma Awuor (Homa Bay East), Julius Nyambok (Homa Bay Central), Mary Ojala (Arujo) and Joash Achieng (Homa Bay West).
They were floored by Erick Omollo of Homa Bay East, Leonard Ojowa (Arujo) Isaac Nyandege (Homa Bay West) and Monoflorita Ondiek (Homa Bay Central).
Karachuonyo constituency, which has seven wards, saw four incumbents lose the ticket.
Lazarus Ojango floored Julius Gaya of Central Karachuonyo, Ouma Odongo defeated Paul Wamunga (North Karachuonyo), Tom Adinda defeated Maurice Ogwang (Kendu Bay Town), Danton Angira won in Kibiri ward against MCA Michael Odira.
Wang Chieng ward ticket went to Victor Obuya from incumbent Peter Kaula while Sam Lieta won the party ticket for West Karachuonyo against John Njira. It is only MCA Jeff Ongoro who bagged the ticket for Kanyaluo ward.
In Kasipul constituency's five wards the same fate befell four MCAs. Only one incumbent MCA Geoffrey Opiyo (South Kasipul) won ODM ticket in the constituency.
However Kwabwai MCA Richard Ogindo, his Kanyamwa Kosewe counterpart Nicholas Owaka and Kochia’s Michael Nyang’ii bagged the ODM ticket.
The party primaries were not conducted in Ruma Kaksingri ward in Suba South constituency and Kasgunga ward in Suba North constituency.
Angote said their election gadgets developed technical problems.
“We also witnessed some chaos in these areas,” she said.
However, Agwanda and Moline Ngala who contested woman representative seat disputed the results.
They said the nomination was marred by massive irregularities.
“At Wachara polling station alone, I had over 2,000 votes and I expected several others in other polling stations but the returning officer gave me 2,233 only overall. This is a sham,” Agwanda said.
He argued the results were doctored to suit interests through a list which had been circulating in the county three days to the election.
Ngala asked the ODM National Elections Board to repeat the election.
-Edited by SKanyara
Image: image: ROBERT OMOLLO