Kibra residents in Nairobi County are voting in a high-stakes parliamentary by-election on Thursday after the MP seat fell vacant following the death of Ken Okoth in July after a battle with cancer.
The hotly contested by-election has attracted 24 candidates battling for 118,658 votes.
The constituency has five wards – Sarang’ombe, with the highest number of registered voters at 30,754, Woodley/Kenyatta Golf Course (28,066), Makina (25,695), Laini Saba (17,455) while Lindi has 16,688.
Kibra was split from Lang’ata Constituency in 2013.
According to the IEBC list, 17 candidates are vying under various political parties while seven are running on independent tickets.
Here is a list of some of the candidates in the November 7, 2019 by-election:
- EDITAR OCHIENG’ (Ukweli Party)
Editar Ochieng, 30, is a civil right activist and the founder of the Feminists for Peace, Rights and Justice Centre. Her organisation has been championing for justice and rights for women in Kibra slums.
- KHAMISI BUTICHI (Ford-Kenya)
Khamisi Butichi is an engineer who has worked for Kenya Airports Authority at Isiolo Airport.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (Jkuat) and a masters’ degree in Construction Engineering and Management from the same institution.
- NOAH MIGUDO WINJA (Independent)
The lawyer-cum-medic, who went into exile after the 1982 coup, lived and worked in South Africa and Denmark before returning to the country in 2002. He holds a masters’ in medicine and another in law.
He has held various positions in both the public and private sectors, representing clients who range from marginalised communities in South America to major companies in Europe. He also worked in Namibia and South Africa during the freedom struggles.
Before joining Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress (ANC) more than a month ago, Eliud Owalo was a staunch member of the ODM party.
Owalo who runs a management consultant firm in Nairobi also contested for ODM party nomination in 2017 but lost to the late Ken Okoth.
During the 2013 presidential elections he served as campaign manager and strategist for Raila Odinga.
- MALASEN HAMIDA (United Green Movement)
Malasen Hamida describes herself as Mama Mazingira and environmental defender. Hamida, who was born and raised in Kibra, has a diploma in community development from the University of Nairobi, according to her social media pages.
- FRANSCO OJIAMBO (Party of Democratic Unity)
Fransco Ojiambo is businessman in Nairobi who for the last three elections vied for Member of County Assembly for Sarang’ombe ward in Kibra constituency but lost.
- ELIJAH NYAMWAMU (National Rainbow Coalition – Kenya)
Elijah Nyamwamu is an economist and a university lecturer and has operated a fleet of matatus plying the Kibra route since 2004. He has lived in Kibra for more than 20 years.
- KASSIM ABDUL (The New Democrats)
Kassim Abdul co-founded the first girls’ soccer team, Kibera Girls’ Soccer Academy, in the urban slum more than 10 years ago. He currently helps run two schools for young women, offering extracurricular to promote gender equality.
Bernard ‘Imran’ Okoth is the younger brother of the late MP Ken Okoth and is flying the ODM party flag for the seat.
Imran, as he is popularly known, was his brother’s personal assistant and also served as Kibra’s National Constituency Development Fund manager.
- MCDONALD MARIGA (Jubilee)
McDonald Mariga Wanyama is a retired footballer who played as a defensive midfielder for the national team Harambee Stars.
Mariga made history as the first Kenyan footballer to play in the UEFA Champions League.
Other candidates eyeing the Kibra parliamentary seat are Anaciet Dorn of Democratic Party of Kenya, Titus Mutinda (Republican Liberty Party), Martin Andati (Modern Alliance Party), Ibrahim Kimorko (Roots Party), Titus Mutinda (Republican Liberty Party), Jared Nyakundi (National Liberal Party),Isaac Ogongo (Justice and Freedom Party), Emmanuel Owiti (Green Congress), and Shem Ocharo (Muungano).
Independent candidates are Felix Anditi, Fridah Kerubo, Mathew Musyoka, David Odanga, Shedrack Omondi, and Abraham Okoth.
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