Joab Maleya Kinzi is the Jubilee party nominee for Lugari parliamentary seat after defeating his closest challenger Wekesa Nahashon Wawire by the slightest margin in the highly contested nomination exercise.
In the results announced by the returning officer Mrs Josphine Wetava at the Lumakanda Salvation Army Church Tallying centre, Kinzi garnered a total of 3,562 votes against Wawire’s 3, 553 with only nine votes separating the two.
Speaking after being announced the winner, Kinzi who is a Laikipia university don, extended gratitude to his supporters for working tirelessly to ensure he emerges victorious.
He said after crossing the first huddle he was now shifting attention to laying down strategies that will enable him to win the parliamentary seat in the August 8th polls.
On his part Wawire, a former Lugari and Likuyani Western Kenya Community Driven Development and Flood Mitigation project coordinator, has objected the results arguing that the exercise was marred by irregularities and that results were manipulated in favour of his
opponent.
He said he earlier raised a complaint to the party’s County Elections Board after suspecting things were not in order right away from preparation ahead of the primaries but no step was taken.
“I raised a complaint after noticing most presiding officers and clerks seemed to favour my opponent but nobody seemed to bother. I am not happy with this result because my victory has been snatched,” lamented Wawire who vowed to officially launch his complaint to the Jubilee Party headquarters to have the exercise repeated.
In the neighbouring Likuyani Sub County Stephen Kisaka was given direct nomination after it was discovered that his would be opponent Mr Wamboko Makhanu had participated in the FORD Kenya party primaries held on 21st April where he was among the aspirants for
Sinoko ward member of county assembly seat.
Speaking to West Media on condition of anonymity one of the party’s County board members confirmed that Kisaka had been given direct nomination. “The board has made the decision to have Mr Kisaka nominated as Jubilee candidate for Likuyani parliamentary seat. The basis is that there was an earlier candidate whom they were supposed to face off in the nominations but the board has since established that that particular candidate had already participated in an earlier nomination for a party that is competing within Likuyani and
obviously to have him participate in our primaries would amount to the violation of political party act,” said the official.
Elsewhere two retired chiefs won the nominations for member of county assembly in Likuyani. Former Kongoni location Chief Paul Nabangi Makete who retired last year was nominated Sango ward Jubilee candidate after garnering a total of 622 votes against his closest challenger Moses Mutembete who got 537 votes while Moses Shiundu got
424 votes.
In Likuyani ward former Tapsagoi location chief Jonathan Masika Mutoro won the primaries with 875 votes against his opponent retired head teacher Absalom Musinai who got 713 votes with Titus Rotich finished in third position with 400 votes.
David Musungu, Thaddeus Kiwela Barasa and Dennis Juma Mukhana are the MCA nominees for Kongoni,Nzoia and Sinoko wards respectively.