Mutula Jr gets his certificate of election from the IEBC’s Makueni Returning Officer Salad Boru/MIKE KARIUKI
Following the confirmation of the results that were relayed from 914 polling streams on Friday night, Makueni County Returning Officer Salad Boru declared: “The people of Makueni have spoken,” as he handed Mutula Jr his election certificate.
The certification of Mutula Jr’s win was done amid shouts of, “you have done well IEBC,” from his supporters who thronged the Wote Technical Training Institute to witness the occasion for themselves.
On receiving his certificate, Mutula Jr said; “It is now time to get down to business,” as he promised to unite all Makueni leaders including those who stood against him.
Speaking to Capital FM News, Mutula Jr said the threat of petitions against his win and candidature do not faze him.
“If anything, I was the one who was disadvantaged. I had my name added onto the ballot paper in an unorthodox fashion and even then some ballot papers did not bear my name. Tell them to bring it on. I have nothing to be afraid of,” he said.
The Wiper Democratic Movement Chairman David Musila did however call on Mutula Jr’s opponents to move on from the loss and work with the winner in bringing development to Makueni.
“I want to urge his detractors to relax. The people of Makueni have made their point,” he said.
On its part, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission which conducted the by-election thanked the people of Makueni for keeping the peace and for promoting an honest exercise.
“There was no violence and very few if any cases of electoral malpractices and as a commission I just think our 100 days of tribulation have turned into 100 days of jubilation,” Deputy Commission Secretary Wilson Shollei said.
The commission also earned Mutula Jr’s congratulations for how they conducted the by-election and reminiscent of his predecessor said, “the IEBC have gotten an A.”
Kethi Kilonzo preceded her brother Mutula Jr as the Wiper Democratic Movement candidate before she was locked out of the race on account of her unclear voter registration status but she too believes Makueni residents deserve an A for electing her brother into office in her place.
In her congratulatory message to her brother and voters in Makueni she said: ‘(I give them) A+. They have twice this year shown such judgement and wisdom. I am so proud of them.”
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