This archive report was first published on 5 August 2019.
On August 4, 2019, the body of the late Kibra MP Ken Okoth was cremated at Kariokor cemetery in Nairobi, marking a significant step in the grieving process for his family.
As the family navigates this difficult time, they are also looking to the future, with a desire to see one of their own take Okoth's place in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
According to Elvis Oluoch, Okoth's nephew, the family is considering sending emissaries to party leader Raila Odinga to endorse Imran Okoth, the late MP's personal assistant, for the position.
Imran played a crucial role in overseeing development projects in the Kibra constituency during Okoth's three-year absence due to medication.
“We want to appeal to Raila to see if he can give one of the family members that opportunity to take care of the next three years,” Oluoch said in a phone interview.
“We have one Imran in mind. He was the personal assistant to Ken and was the one taking care of everything when Ken was sick. So we thought he is the right person to do that because he knew every plan Ken had concerning Kibra.”
With Raila having been the area's MP for over two decades and Kibra being one of the ODM's zones in the city, he will have the final say on who succeeds Okoth.
Some party stalwarts are also rooting for Secretary General Edwin Sifuna to run for the seat, especially after Jubilee promised not to front any candidate.
Should Imran be endorsed, he will join a list of politicians who have taken over leadership mantles due to family ties.
Imran first caught the public eye when he addressed the media the day his brother died, saying, “We want to inform the nation, the people of Kibra, that the leader they trust, a servant leader, Honourable Ken Okoth, is no more. He passed on a while ago.”
