This archive report was first published on 16 July 2021.
UDA's John Njuguna Wanjiku Wins Kiambaa MP Seat ¶
On July 16, 2021, a surprise victory was recorded in the Kiambaa MP by-election, with UDA's John Njuguna Wanjiku emerging as the winner.
According to official results on the IEBC portal, Wanjiku garnered 21,773 votes, while his closest rival, Kariri Njama of Jubilee, secured 21,263 votes.
The election was a closely contested race between Jubilee Party and UDA, with eight parliamentary candidates vying for the seat left vacant by the late Paul Koinange.
Earlier in the day, vote tallying was briefly suspended after Njama and his supporters claimed that the ballots were being rigged in favor of Wanjiku.
However, tallying resumed after police restored order, and Wanjiku maintained his lead, securing the seat.
Low voter turnout was a major issue in the election, with IEBC officials estimating that only about 45% of the 96,000 registered voters in the constituency cast their ballots.
UDA had previously described Wanjiku as a 'young hustler,' a label that resonated with many voters in the constituency.
Wanjiku's victory is seen as a significant upset for Jubilee Party, which had been expected to retain the seat.
