- Buyu has edged out Kisumu West MP Olago Aluoch who has served for three terms.
- Buyu said being declared winner was an emotional moment for her as she had twice lost to Olago.
Image: MAURICE ALAL
Roza Buyu has become the second woman to be elected MP in Kisumu since Independence.
Grace Onyango, who was the first elected woman MP in East and Central Africa, served for a term after her election in 1969.
Since her departure from politics, the seven constituencies that now make up Kisumu county have consistently elected men MPs.
Buyu has edged out Kisumu West MP Olago Aluoch who has served for three terms.
Kisumu Woman Representative Rosa Buyu has clinched the Kisumu West Constituency MP seat where she garnered 39, 658 beating the incumbent MP Olago Aluoch who got 19, 045 votes.
Buyu got 39,658 votes against Olago's 19,045 votes.
Olago was defending the seat on the MDG ticket.
He was first elected MP on the ODM ticket in 2007. In 2013, following bungled nominations, Olago defected and was reelected on the Ford Kenya ticket. He won a third term on the same ticket in 2017.
Buyu said being declared winner was an emotional moment for her as she had twice lost to Olago.
She was given her certificate on Wednesday.
Buyu said Kisumu set the pace for women leadership in the early Sixties but slipped back, while other regions were giving women an opportunity to serve them.
"This is a bit emotional for me because for the last 10 years, I have put my best forward to try and get the opportunity to serve the people of this constituency," she said.
Buyu first vied for the seat in 2007 and made a second attempt in 2013.
She ran for woman representative in 2017 and won.
"I served the county well and in 2021 I was voted the second-best woman representative in the country," Buyu said.
In 2022 she decided to give the constituency seat another try, she said.
"I have been strong in the women's movement. We believe when you have more women in positions of authority, decisions that are made are more accommodative and get the views of both genders," Buyu said.
"You know we have had issues with the two-third gender rule. I, Buyu, decided to give another woman the opportunity to be elected in the position that I was in."
She said it's good that the county will have two women representing it at the National Assembly, the woman rep and herself.
She thanked God for the win, her family members and the entire constituency for believing in her.
The MP-elect said she will make the constituency a better place for all.
"We thank God. Wacha Mungu aitwe Mungu. Nobody believed we could do it. And you guys have done it," she said.
Buyu extended an olive branch to Olago, saying they should work together going forward to change the lives of the people within the constituency.
"Olago has served the people for 15 years. The mantle has fallen on me, and I request his support so that we can continue working together for our people," she said.
The constituency had 82,927 registered voters. The voter turnout was 71.2 per cent, which returning officer John Matekwa said was high.
Other candidates who vied for the position were Obiero Kennedy, who came in third with 147 votes, Odhiambo William was fourth with 108 votes and Oluoch Ray who was fifth with 89 votes.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)