This archive report was first published on 16 November 2019.
Ruto's Luhya Gamble Falls Flat in Kibra By-Election ¶
On November 16, 2019, the Kibra by-election served as a dress rehearsal for the 2022 general elections, pitting Deputy President William Ruto against opposition leader Raila Odinga. Ruto's candidate, McDonald Mariga, a Luhya from Western Kenya, was expected to win the seat, but he lost to ODM's Imran Okoth.
Mariga's loss has vindicated Musalia Mudavadi's warnings about Ruto's commercial interests in Western Kenya. Mudavadi, the leader of the Amani National Congress, had stated that Ruto's allies were only interested in his wealth and not in genuinely working with the Luhya community.
During the campaign, Ruto's allies, including former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, National Assembly Chief Whip Benjamin Washiali, and Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa, failed to deliver the Luhya vote to Mariga. Instead, they were humiliated by Orange Democratic Movement supporters, who slapped and chased them away for disparaging the party's leadership.
Mariga himself was also chased away on voting day by rowdy youth who were opposed to his anti-bedroom politics. Despite being a Luhya, Mariga was thoroughly outsmarted by Okoth, who won the seat with a significant margin.
Opinion is sharply divided over Ruto's real intentions in the Kibra by-election. While some believe that Ruto was keen on harnessing the mood of the core Luhya Nation in Western Kenya, others think that he was only interested in embarrassing Raila Odinga and solidifying his forays in the region.
Mariga's loss has dealt a significant blow to Ruto's plans to expand his influence in Western Kenya. The DP's allies, including Khalwale and Barasa, have been left to ponder what went wrong in the Kibra by-election.
