This archive report was first published on 9 November 2019.
ODM's Dominance in Kibra ¶
ODM's candidate, Imran Okoth, won the hotly contested Kibra MP seat in the November 7, 2019, by-election, with a significant margin of over 10,000 votes.
Okoth's victory was largely attributed to the party's strong support in the constituency, which has been a stronghold for ODM since the party's leader, Raila Odinga, served as Lang'ata MP for 20 years from 1992 to 2013.
During the campaign, Odinga referred to Kibra as his 'bedroom' and urged his supporters to turn up in large numbers and vote for Okoth, emphasizing the party's relevance in the area.
ODM's campaign slogan, 'ODM ni Kibra, ODM is Kibra,' resonated with the voters, and the party's candidate had a good relationship with his brother, the late Ken Okoth, who was the MP-elect and a member of the Orange party.
Okoth had served as his brother's personal assistant, carrying out duties such as distributing cheques from the Constituency Development Fund to schools, and was trusted with the management of projects after Ken was diagnosed with colorectal cancer and traveled abroad for treatment.
On the other hand, Jubilee Party's candidate, McDonald Mariga, faced criticism for being a new entrant into the political scene and into Kibra, with some questioning his qualifications to be an MP.
Despite the challenges faced by Jubilee, ODM's strong support in Kibra, coupled with the party's campaign strategy, ultimately led to Okoth's victory.
As Okoth said in his acceptance speech, 'I will start working immediately after I'm sworn-in. I request my opponents to support me in serving the people of Kibra. It is only through unity that Kibra will develop. I support the handshake since I am the first handshake MP.'
