Only two in five MPs return to house

What you need to know:

  • Only one returning MP, Patrick Mweu Musimba of Kibwezi West, managed to win on an independent ticket.
  • Mutava Musyimi, former chairman of Parliament’s finance committee was also defeated in Mbeere South by Geoffrey Muturi
  • The highest percentages of valid votes cast in an election for County Women rep was 96 per cent, in Nyandarua, Kiambu and Homa Bay Counties.

Only 111 or two in five of the 290 members of the national assembly are likely to secure their re-election, according to provisional data from the independent electoral and boundaries commission.

Of all MPs elected, however 138, or nearly half, will come from the Jubilee Party.

The election result means that 179 MPs will not be returning to the National Assembly, either because they failed to defend their seats or opted to contest another seat.

Only one returning MP, Patrick Mweu Musimba of Kibwezi West, managed to win on an independent ticket.

In addition to the wins by the Jubilee Party, the parties constituting the National Super Alliance (Nasa) won a total of 103 seats. They include ODM (63), seats Wiper (17), Amani National Congress (12) and Ford Kenya (11).

Some MPs were successful in seeking other seats. For example, Kiharu MP, Irungu Kang’ata will not be returning after he won the Murang'a Senate seat over the incumbent, who was also MP for Kiambu, Mr Kembi Gitura.

In Meru County, Igembe East MP, Mithika Linturi will take over from Kiraitu Murungi as Senator after defeating Mugambi Imnyara of PNU by 305,125 votes to 182, 328.

In Kilifi, former MP for Kilifi North, Gideon Mungaro, made an unsuccessful bid for the governors, seat which was successfully defended by Governor Amason Kingi. So the new MP for Kilifi North is projected to be Owen Yaa Baya of ODM who has garnered 27 405, equivalent to 43 per cent of all votes cast.

Former Nyali MP Hezron Awiti opted to contest for the governorship of Mombasa County which is set to be retained by Governor Hassan Ali Joho. The new Nyali MP is projected to be journalist-turned-politician Mohammed Ali, who with all the votes counted received 43 per cent, or  26,798 votes, followed by Said Abdalla Salim, who received  16,473 votes or 27 per cent of the votes cast.

Mutava Musyimi, former chairman of Parliament’s finance committee was also defeated in Mbeere South by Geoffrey Muturi, who polled 18,225  or 31 per cent of all votes cast to Rev Musyimi’s 16 897 (30 per cent).

RETURNING WOMEN REPS

Only ten women county representatives, or one in five are likely to make it back in the role after being elected in 2013, provisional statistics from the IEBC show.

That means 79 per cent of county women representatives will not serve another term in that position.

Only Beatrice Nyaga (Tharaka Nithi) Rose Mumo (Makueni), Joyce Akai Emanikor (Turkana), Sabina Chege, (Murang’a) Maison Leshoomo (Samburu), Janet Wanyama (Trans Nzoia), Rosalinda Tuya (Narok),  Florence Mutua (Busia) and Christine Ombaka (Siaya), Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay) will  return as women county reps after the 2017 election.

Of those returnees, Gladys Wanga was re-elected with a stunning 96 per cent of all valid votes cast, followed by Sabina Chege with 77 per cent of the vote. Florence Mutua at 71 per cent, Rose Mumo at 69 per cent, Beatrice Nyaga at 54 per cent and Christine Ombaka in Siaya at 51 per cent, while others garnered below 50 per cent registered voters in the counties.

By party, 16 County Women Representatives-elect came from the Nasa Coalition, 11 of which were ODM, while 25, more than half, were from Jubilee.

SPECIAL INTEREST

In Mandera, Amina Gedow Hassan was elected from the Economic Freedom Party, with 48 per cent of the valid votes cast, while in Meru County, an independent candidate, Kawira Mwangaza, beat incumbent Florence Kajuju of Jubilee. Ms Mwangaza garnered 277 972 votes to set aside the incumbent’s challenge by 47,995 votes, or 9 per cent of all votes cast.

Mario Leshoomo of Samburu defended her women representative seat in the Kanu in 2017, having won the ticket in 2013 on a TNA ticket, which was one of the constituent parties of the Jubilee coalition. The only other person  to defend her seat while changing parties or coalitions, was Janet Wanyama of Trans Nzoia County, who moved from to Jubilee from New Ford Kenya, which was allied to Kanu, UDM and the National Vision Party in 2013.

In Uasin Gishu, former Registrar  of the Judiciary Gladys Boss Shollei (Jubilee) won the County Women Representative position with 67 per cent of all votes cast, on a Jubilee ticket 

The highest percentages of valid votes cast in an election for County Women rep was 96 per cent, in Nyandarua, Kiambu and Homa Bay Counties. Kiambu County is of special interest because it was the most gender equal county in terms of voters, with men outnumbering women by only 0.4 per cent.

In terms of overall voter turnout, counties from central Kenya topped. For example, the top counties in terms of voter turnout were Murang’a (86 per cent), Nyandarua, (85 per cent), Nyeri (85 per cent), Kirinyaga (85 per cent) and Siaya (81 per cent).