The lucky candidates who won by a landslide in General Election
Siaya senator James Orengo together with other NASA coordinating committee members during a press briefing on April 12, 2017. The senator leads among candidates who won with landslide margins during the August 8 election. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
Only eight candidates emerged “super winners”– the small group of victors who won by more than 90 per cent of the vote.
All of them came from counties that were solidly Jubilee or Nasa strongholds.
Consequently, the counties that were perceived as swing regions between Jubilee and Nasa did not produce a winner who garnered more than 90 per cent of the vote.
Most of the winners in the August 8 elections laboured hard for their victories while a few of them hardly broke a sweat.
Only eight candidates emerged “super winners”– the small group of victors who won by more than 90 per cent of the vote.
For many of them the real competition was during the party primaries, but once they had the tickets in their hands, victory was assured.
All of them came from counties that were solidly Jubilee or Nasa strongholds.
Consequently, the counties that were perceived as swing regions between Jubilee and Nasa did not produce a winner who garnered more than 90 per cent of the vote.
The following are some of the politicians that won the majority of the vote in their regions.
ODM’s James Orengo 372,615 (98.4 per cent) – Siaya senator
The veteran politician retained his senate seat by the highest percentage points in the whole election.
Mr Orengo’s victory is all the more remarkable given the fact that he hardly campaigned in Siaya.
He did not put up campaign posters.
Mr Orengo spent most of his time representing the Nasa coalition in the multiple court cases brought against the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission in an effort to ensure a free and fair poll.
The voters back home in Siaya rewarded him for this. His sole challenger, Mr Jacob Oluoch of Jubilee Party, managed 6,236 votes.
Jubilee’s Faith Gitau 274,689 (96.1 per cent) – Nyandarua woman representative
After emerging the winner in chaotic Jubilee primaries in April in which one person died and ballot papers were burned, Ms Gitau saw her victory challenged four times by then woman representative Wanjiku Muhia.
First, Ms Muhia went before the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal and won but Ms Gitau appealed against the decision at the High Court and won.
However, the Court of Appeal quashed the High Court ruling and ordered that the nominations be repeated.
However High Court judge George Odunga said the matter of who between Ms Gitau and Ms Muhia was best suited to fly the Jubilee flag should be determined by the party.
When Jubilee called the aspirants to explain to them the difficulties of holding fresh nominations, Ms Muhia walked out and Ms Gitau was picked.
Her closest opponent in the General Election, Ms Monica Mucheke got 9,321 votes.
Jubilee’s Paul Chepkwony 286,754 (95 per cent) – Kericho governor
The soft spoken university professor overcame an impeachment bid by his county assembly in May 2014.
The MCAs voted him out after he moved to court and filed a petition seeking an interpretation on the distinction between the roles of the county executive and those of the assembly.
However, the Senate overturned the impeachment.
The governor won the August 8 election despite a warning by Deputy President William Ruto against associating with Bomet County chief Isaac Ruto who had fallen out with Jubilee. Prof Chepkwony’s closest challenger, Mr Jonah Keter of Kanu, had 14,287 votes.
Jubilee’s Gathoni wa Muchomba 921,696 (94.2 per cent)- Kiambu woman representative
A veteran pioneer radio presenter at Kameme FM, she trounced Ms Anne Nyokabi, President Uhuru Kenyatta’s cousin, to win the seat.
For years, she endeared herself to her listeners through her popular radio programmes.
In 2016, she launched a television channel, Utugi TV, whose aim she said was to help farmers.
Beside President Kenyatta and Nasa presidential candidate, Raila Odinga, Ms Muchomba had the highest number of votes.
Her closest challenger, Ms Jane Chege, got 25, 965 votes.
Jubilee’s Samson Cherargei 248,210 (92.5 per cent) – Nandi senator
In 2014, Mr Cherargei and his predecessor Stephen Sang led demonstrations in Kapsabet Town against the alleged mismanagement of the county’s finances by Governor Cleophas Lagat.
Goons allegedly hired by the county government descended on the demonstrating groups with crude weapons, seriously injuring a majority of the demonstrators.
Mr Cherargei broke his hand in the process.
Jubilee’s Aaron Cheruiyot 278,018 (92.4 per cent) – Kericho senator
Many thought that he was going to have a real fight on his hands given his hard fought victory in the 2015 senatorial by-election which was occasioned by the appointment of Charles Keter to the Cabinet.
During those polls, Mr Cheruiyot faced stiff competition from Mr Paul Sang of Kanu.
Although he won, many thought that the rebellion that the voters in Kericho had showed towards Jubilee was the beginning of a massive revolt in the South Rift that would complicate the ruling party’s game plan in the region.
However, if the August 8 election was anything to go by, the rebellion was not to be after all.
Jubilee’s Stephen Sang 245,764 (91.2 per cent) – Nandi governor
He is one of the five senators in the Eleventh Parliament who took on their governors and won the election.
As senator, Mr Sang led protests against Governor Cleophas Lagat’s rule in Kapsabet.
Long considered an outsider in the governor’s race, he also weathered subtle attacks by Mr Ruto who once, during a public rally, accused him of being among those who wished the DP to be jailed by the International Criminal Court.
At 32, he is the youngest governor today.
His closest challenger Anderson Sang managed 13,294 votes.
Jubilee’s Paul Mwangi 260,153 (90.5 per cent) – Nyandarua senator
The two-time Kipipiri MP former Planning Cabinet Minister originally intended to vie for the governor’s seat but shifted to the senate seat after former Secretary to the Cabinet Francis Kimemia declared interest in the post.
Mr Mwangi was elected Kipipiri MP in 1992 and 1997 on a DP ticket but lost to Mr Amos Kimunya of the National Rainbow Alliance in the 2002 polls.
He again ran for the parliamentary seat in 2013 but lost to Mr Samuel Gichigi.
During the August 8 polls, he floored his closest challenger, Ms Beatrice Kamau, who got 14,963 votes.
Others who had huge margins of victory include Nakuru Senator-elect Susan Kihika of Jubilee who got 669,550 votes (89.6 per cent), Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana of Nasa who garnered 291,535 votes representing 87.8 per cent and his Kiambu County counterpart Ferdinand Waititu of Jubilee who got 765,440 votes, which was 78.2 per cent of the vote.
However, some of the winners barely scraped through.
Tarbaj: PDR’s Ahmed Gaal (6,836) vs Jubilee’s Idris Abdullahi (6,812)
Mr Gaal won the seat by the narrowest of margins of all the MPs in the Twelfth Parliament.
A civil engineer by profession, he defeated Mr Abdullahi and Wajir woman representative Fatuma Ibrahim.
Baringo North: Jubilee’s William Cheptumo (12,493) vs PDR’s Joseph Makilap ((12,342)
Mr Cheptumo earned a third term in Parliament by narrowly beating Mr Makilap, the immediate former Member of County Assembly for Barwesa in Baringo County.
He was also the deputy majority leader in the county assembly. He has faulted the exercise, saying it was marred with irregularities.
Ijara: PDR’s Sophia Noor (5,899) vs Jubilee’s Ahmed Abass (5,622)
Ms Noor made history by becoming the first ever woman to be elected to Parliament in North Eastern region by beating the incumbent, Mr Abass.
A former ODM nominated MP, between 2008 and 2013, Ms Noor is a founder member of Womankind Kenya – a group that advocates girls education and women issues.
Baringo South: Jubilee’s Grace Kipchoim (10,598) vs Kanu’s Charles Kamuren (10,355)
Ms Kipchoim retained her seat after narrowly edging out her opponent, Mr Kamuren, who was also her main challenger in the 2013 polls.
