Surprise candidate wins ODM ticket for Kisumu North by-election
Returning officer John Keboi hands the ODM nomination certificate to Samuel Dede after declaring him winner of the Kisumu North primaries on October 3, 2020.
What you need to know:
- The returning officer termed the election free, fair, credible and transparent and asked the losers to support the flag bearer to make ODM more formidable in the region.
- While receiving the ODM certificate, Mr Dede said he is ready to work with his rivals and unite all factions following weeks of divisive campaigns.
A surprise candidate won the Orange Democratic Movement’s primaries for the Kisumu North Ward on Saturday.
Returning officer John Keboi declared Samuel Dede winner of the hotly contested election with 1,461 votes.
He was closely followed by Thomas Kotieno who garnered 1,129 votes while former councilor Bernard Muga took position three with 979 votes. The two had been considered favourites.
Mr Ramadhan Bilali and former MCA Caroline Owen took positions four and five with 564 and 184 votes respectively.
Supporters of ODM's nominee for Kisumu North Ward, Samuel Dede, celebrate his victory outside the Ramogi Institute of Advanced Technology tallying center on October 3, 2020.
Mr Dede is hoping for a landslide victory in the by-election scheduled for December 15 as he will be relying on the party’s popularity in the area.
The winner will serve the ward until the 2022 General Election as he will take over from Mr Elisha Oraro, who resigned following his election as the Kisumu assembly’s speaker.
Mr Dede will vie against Ken Ogada of Ford-Kenya and businessman John Ouko of Amani National Congress (ANC).
Free and fair
ODM National Elections Board chairperson Catherine Mumma said some of the people who turned up to vote had not been registered in that area, so they found their names missing.
“I am appealing to supporters to register enmass in order to participate in similar exercises in the future,” she said at the Ramogi Institute of Advanced Technology tallying centre.
Supporters of ODM's nominee for Kisumu North Ward, Samuel Dede, react to the announcement of his victory outside the Ramogi Institute of Advanced Technology tallying center on October 3, 2020.
The returning officer termed the election free, fair, credible and transparent and asked the losers to support the flag bearer to make ODM more formidable in the region.
While receiving the ODM certificate, Mr Dede said he is ready to work with his rivals and unite all factions following weeks of divisive campaigns.
“My first priority when I get to the office will be to complete projects started by my predecessor before starting my own,” he said.
He asked Kisumu North residents to turn up in large numbers for the mini poll in December.
Mr Muga, a staunch ODM supporter, conceded defeat and said he is ready to work with the winner.
