ODM's Oimeke wins Bonchari by-election

Electoral officials on Wednesday morning declared Pavel Robert Oimeke of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) winner of the Bonchari by-election. 

Mr Oimeke garnered  8,049 votes. This was 30 percent of the votes cast. 

Bonchari Returning Officer Benson Ambuko declared Mr Oimeke winner after a night-long vote tallying.

exercise. 

Mr Oimeke was  followed closely by Zebedeo Opore of Jubilee party who garnered 7,279 votes, which was 27 percent of the votes cast. 

UDA candidate Teresa Bitutu came third with 6,964 votes. This was 26 percent of the votes cast. 

Ms Bitutu is the widow of former Bonchari MP Oroo Oyioka. 

The other 10 candidates got five percent  of the votes and below. 

There was voter apathy with 26,526 out of 52,955 electorates casting their votes. This translated to 50.09 percent voter turnout. 

The rejected votes were 446 in all the 103 polling stations. 

While giving his victory speech, Mr Oimeke, who was accompanied by ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna and Kisii Governor James Ongwae, said he was grateful to his leaders for supporting him in his campaigns. 

Mr Sifuna and Mr Ongwae said Oimeke's win indicates that ODM is still strong in Kisii and in the larger Nyanza region.

Mr Oimeke is the former director-general of Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra). He resigned to contest for the Bonchari parliamentary seat. 

He resigned after about three months after he was arrested for allegedly receiving a Sh200,000 bribe to approve the re-opening of a fuel station in Oyugis that had been shut down over tax violations. He has denied the accusations.