A woman who had some years ago claimed to be the Kenya’s first lady Mary Wambui Munene is the new Othaya MP.
She clinched the seat with 16 285 votes on a TNA candidate.
She was closely followed by a Nairobi based lawyer Peter King’ara of Mwangi Kiunjuri’s party GNU with 14 218.
It was surprise after President Kibaki’s preferred successor Gichuki Mugambi garnered a handful of votes amounting to 10 972.
out of the 47 231registered voters in Othaya constituency, only 43 310 turned out.
Gichuki was enjoying first family support as Jimmy Kibaki was criss-crossing the constituency convincing electorates to elect Mugambi as the next MP.
After she was declared the winner, Wambui went to Othaya town in company with her daughter Winnie Mwai where there were jubilations mostly from the youth and women.
The victory however demonstrated that President Kibaki had no significant political influence in the area.
He had been campaigning for Mugambi and his security apparatus shaming Wambui for he recently denied her access to his events.
At the same time they allowed Mugambi and the president used the opportunity to praise him in terms of education and good at putting across issues.
Comparatively, other candidates were considered uneducated and incapable of articulating local issues.
Area electorates however defied the president’s order and picked Wambui as their preferred representative.
Mugambi was also in TNA but defected to Sabasaba Asili party after loosing during the party primaries which were marred with malpractices.
He said the results were manipulated in favour of one candidate.
The contest was perceived as battle between Wambui and Kibaki’s family only for their candidate to become a distant third.
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