Without a doubt Eddy Oketch, the Federal Party of Kenya (FPK) candidate in the Migori County senatorial by-election put up a spirited fight to become the county’s third senator. However the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) candidate Ochilo Ayacko has won the Migori Senate seat.
The 27 year-old has twice failed to connect to his fellow youth who form the majority of the voting block to propel him to power. Eddy as well lost in 2017 when he contested for the same seat against the late Ben Oluoch Okello, again appearing in the second position.
The fact that he garnered over 60, 000 votes in the just concluded by-election shows he has supporters all over the county.
Oketch could be suffering from lack of luck or is basically just not meant to become the Senator of Migori
However, the nation is keenly waiting for his next move, at a time when election losers are known to move to court when not satisfied with the poll outcome.
The former minister Mr Ayacko had already pulled a comfortable lead on Monday night with four out of the eight constituencies reporting.
Eddy is the founder of Ongoza Initiative and Gicheru Trustee foundations which champion a non-violent society and offer education scholarships and digital mentor-ship to youth respectively.
Initiatives helped him charm himself to the local community especially the youth who regard him as a role model. The little known political greenhorn is no push over in Migori politics as he came in second in the last senatorial election in 2017.
Apparently also wealthy enough that during his campaigns he had the finance to obtain a chopper, financial constrains were not the cause for his defeat, both in the concluded election and in 2017.
He is as well a learned fellow with the ability to come up with the best ideologies to convince the people, especially at a time when there exists professional manifesto architects.
As a result of his groundbreaking work, Okech was recognised with the 2012 Impact Award from the Kenyan US Diaspora, the 2013 Africa Village’s Top 30 Under 30 Most Inspirational Young People on the African continent and Salt’s 2015 top 30 under 30 most innovative and influential youth in Africa.
On the voting day, Okech had claimed some ODM politicians were moving around voting centres to bribe the electorate.
Officials from the party’s headquarters and Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) were reported to have swarmed the county and spread across the eight constituencies. Rongo MP Paul Abuor, Busia Woman Representative Florence Mutua, Mathare lawmaker Anthony Oluoch and nominated Senator Rose Nyamunga were some of the Orange party agents.
These are the provisional IEBC tallies:
Suna East Constituency
Ayacko (11,950); Oketch (8,297); Jobando (147); Ogola (121); Hodo (34); Otieno (20).
Suna West Constituency
Ayacko (13,335); Oketch (8,221); Jobando (55); Ogola (66); Otieno (23); Hodo (8)
Uriri Constituency
Oketch (14,291); Ayacko (8,680); Ogola (77); Jobando (51); Hodo (24); Otieno (21)
Kuria East Constituency
Ayacko (4,961); Oketch (1,585); Hodo (79); Otieno (77); Jobando (68); Ogola (63).
Rongo Constituency
Ayacko (12,904); Oketch (5,315); Otieno (194); Ogola (60); Jobando (44); Hodo (8)
The Senate by-election was marred by low voter turnout with only 38.02 percent of the 388,633 registered voters casting their ballots. Only 511 votes were rejected.
The county has eight constituencies, namely Uriri, Rongo, Suna West, Suna East, Nyatike, Kuria West, Awendo and Kuria East.
It is only in Uriri, the backyard of Migori Governor Okoth Obado, that Mr Oketch trounced Mr Ayacko. Mr Obado, now in remand following allegations that he plotted the murder of university student Sharon Otieno, had backed the youthful Mr Oketch before his arrest.
Other candidates are Peter Jobando (Green Congress Party), Mr Solomon Hodo Rugaria (People’s Democratic Party), Mr Samwel Otieno (independent) and Mr Dickson Ogolla (independent).
1. Ochilo Mbogo Ayacko – 85,234 votes.
2. Eddy Gicheru Okech – 60,555 votes.
3. Ogola Dickson Ogola -645 votes.
4. Jabando Peter Asieko -555 votes.
5. Otieno Samuel Otieno – 457 votes.
6. Rugaria Solomon Hodo – 286 votes.
Hodo however stepped down in favor of youthful Oketch