Planning Minister Wycliffe Opranya gives acceptance speech after clinching ODM ticket for Kakamega governor/LODRICK MAYABI
In Kakamega County, Planning Minister Wycliffe Oparanya of ODM will face-off with UDF’s Paul Olando for the governor’s position after both won nominations in their respective parties.
Oparanya emphatically floored businessman Lawrence Ndombi garnering close to 110,000 votes against Ndombi’s 11,000, excluding votes from Butere Constituency.
ODM Kakamega County Returning Officer Elizaphan Ager says that they delayed to announce the final results as they took long to be delivered.
“We have determined that the results of Butere will not make significant contributions in the race for governor and women’s representative and so I declare winners but those who have issues, the party has clear mechanisms to resolve nomination disputes,” Ager told aspirants who were getting impatient.
Oparanya in his acceptance speech has called on those who lost in the various seats to campaign with the winners ahead of the elections.
“We were a big team when we started, some have lost but do not fall off, remain part of the team to the end. When we form government we will have bread for everybody,” he said amid cheers adding that it was important for the party to remain united.
Former Provincial Commissioner Olando won the UDF ticket after Housing Minister Soita Shitanda was disqualified by UDF’s elections board on the ground of educational qualifications.
Shitanda was later on Friday handed a lifeline after he secured direct nomination to vie for the Kakamega gubernatorial seat on a New Ford Kenya ticket.
In the senatorial race ODM’s Shanyisa Khasiani will be battling it out with former Ikolomani MP Boni Khalwale and former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo, all of whom were nominated unopposed.
ODM also nominated businesswoman Rachael Amollo to run for the position of County women representative. She emerged top of getting 58,863 votes.
ODMs nomination in the county did not go without negative sentiment and complaints from some of the aspirants who felt aggrieved by the process.
Khwisero parliamentary aspirant Martin Andati who lost in the nomination led journalists to the party offices in Kakamega where lots of ballot papers – many yet to be unpacked – were discovered.
Party officials in the county had claimed on Thursday that they received insufficient materials for the exercise.
“The whole process of nominations is flawed and that is why we even have a reconstituted National Elections Board. Yesterday (Thursday) I am reliably informed by our caretaker that ballot papers arrived at 9am. This is a sham. There was time to deliver ballots to all wards not Kisa Central only,” he said.
It was a nomination that saw newcomers floor two former MPs in Khwisero and Matungu constituencies.
Former Khwisero MP Evans Akula who got 2,307 votes was third best in a contest that was won by Benjamin Andayi who got 6,303 against.
Former Matungu MP David Were who got 7,341 votes was beaten to the ODM ticket by newcomer Paul Posho who got 10,484.
Appeals to ODM’s National Appeals Tribunal are expected to be in writing and must be lodged within 48 hours of the announcement of results.
It will be a pricey affair as those with disputes over governor and senate seats shall, on appeal, pay a non-refundable fee of Sh70,000 to the party.
Those wishing to appeal nomination of county ward representatives and members of the National Assembly will part with a non-refundable fee of Sh30,000.
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