Mary Emaase back in Parliament after five years

@eosere

Teso South MP-elect Mary Emaase bounced back after defeating five other candidates in the parliamentary race.

Emaase of UDA got 18,165 votes, defeating incumbent Geoffrey Omuse (independent) who garnered 16,423 votes and Governor Sospeter Ojaamong of ODM who got 11,165 votes.

Others were Maendeleo Chap Chap's Millicent Ekasiba who scooped 428 votes, independent candidate Charles Omuse (797) and Kanu's Richard Ing’wali with 177 votes.

Teso South returning officer Carol Okky declared her victory on Thursday.

There were 47,041 votes cast in one of the most competitive MP election in Busia county.

The MP-elect said her triumph shows the people of Teso South constituency have faith in her leadership.

Since her 2017 defeat that saw Omuse elected on an ODM ticket, Emaase never tired in her quest to win back the MP seat.

Her focus, she says, would be to champion for development in the constituency.

POLITICAL STRATEGY

After her 2017 defeat, Emaase maintained presence in the constituency and capitalised on what her opponents referred to as her ‘idleness.’

As Omuse played his legislative, oversight and representative roles in Parliament in Nairobi and Ojaamong focused on serving the people of Busia as governor, Emaase continued to market her candidature ahead of election.

She held strategic meetings with opinion leaders and convened conferences with women and youth groups – aiding them financially, whenever she was able to.

Emaase would occassionally be seen in remote villages in the constituency freely interacting with residents and trying to convince them that she was the best bet for Teso South in this year's polls.

The MP-elect would briefly vanish from the electorate – as she met the man she loves, referred to as ‘boss’ – President-elect William Ruto to strategise for UDA in the constituency as well as Busia.

She however, returned to Teso South where she continued with her vote-hunt.

Her social media page clearly exhibits how the MP-elect was active, in campaigns, before August 9.

Residents in the constituency say Emaase's support for education, infrastructural development and her focus in the improvement of the healthcare system played a pivotal role in her reelection.

Through the DP, she pushed for tarmacking of the poorly-maintained Malaba-Busia road, which had hampered movement between the border towns. This, she did, before she exited Parliament in 2017.

She was also instrumental in organising the DP’s tours in Busia ahead of the just concluded polls. The last of such visits being on July 29 at Busia stadium where Ruto held his last rally in Busia.

At the rally that was partly disrupted by rain, Emaase said Busia would be better off with Ruto than any other presidential candidate.

She is on record having told Azimio La Umoja presidential candidate Raila Odinga "to forget the Busia vote."

The MP-elect said Busia has little to celebrate despite the many years residents have supported the ODM leader.

Emaase, at the rally, assured the DP of support from Busia voters.

However, many laughed her off for supporting and vying on Ruto's UDA party as Teso South and in extension Busia, is ODM leader Raila Odinga’s stronghold.

Opponents knew her declaration for Ruto’s support would bangle her reelection bid.

She however, surprised many by defeating her opponents including Ojaamong, who has been in politics for the last 30 years.

Emaase was elected alongside Boniface Erute, the only UDA MCA-elect in Busia.

Erute, a close associate of Emaaase defeated seasoned politician Abiud Ochilang'ole to win the Amukura West ward seat.

Political pundits attribute her return to Parliament to endless campaigns since 2017, when she exited the National Assembly.

Emaase, who in 2013 was elected on Ruto's URP party had a hectic time fighting accusations that she was married outside Busia.

Critics claimed her decision to build a family house outside the border county automatically knocked her out from the list of leaders who should seek for elective seats in Busia.

Emaase however defeated her closest challenger, Omuse with 1,742 votes in the hotly contested race.

(Edited by Bilha Makokha)