Mwakwere recaptures Matuga seat

Ali Chirau Mwakwere after he recaptured Matuga parliamentary seat in a by-election. With him is Kibwezi MP Philip Kaloki (right) and his Kangundo counterpart Johnstone Muthama (left) at the government training centre in Matuga Monday night.

Former Transport Minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere has been re-elected as Matuga MP after winning Monday by-election.

Mwakwere who was vying for the seat on a PNU ticket garnered 16,350 votes against his closest opponent Hassan Mohamed Mwanyoha's 10, 887 votes.

Coming in third was United Democratic Movement's Kassim Sawa Tandaza who got 5,165 votes while the youthful new comer Isaac Mutula Masila of Labour Party of Kenya got a paltry 134 votes.

A shattered Mwanyoha could barely speak as he conceded defeat before the last two ballot boxes were counted at about 4.00 am Tuesday.

Mwanyoha was tipped to win the by election as a result of the intense campaign done in the two last weeks and the euphoria over the ODM campaign antics led by party heavy weights.

He was shocked when Mwakwere took the lead right from the start as he and many ODM coast MPs had taken it for granted that he would walk over the election.

Local residents were also surprised by Mwakwere's performance especially when he triumphed in centers known to be Mwanyoha/ ODM strongholds.

The gap between Mwakwere and Mwanyoha who have been rivals has in the last two elections been hundreds of votes with both scoring just over 8,000 votes.

In this by election however Mwakwere has silenced his critics by trouncing his closest opponent with over 5,400 votes.

On realizing he had lost the seat, Mwanyoha left the counting hall soon after ODM party officials Ministers Anyang' Nyong'o and James Orengo accepted the results.

Announcing the results, the Returning Officer Sidi Kahindi said that the results reflected the decision of the Kwale people.

IIEC relayed the results to the tallying centre at the Lilian Towers Nairobi using the new electronic technology.

Meanwhile, Mwakwere thanked the people of Kwale for electing him and therefore choosing peace among the different communities living in the area.

He said that the people of Kwale had made their own choice for a leader without succumbing to external pressure exerted on them during the campaign period.

MPs Philip Kaloki and Johnstone Muthama and PNU party activist Stanley Livondo were also present to congratulate the MP-elect.

With his re-election, Matuga residents can only wait and see Mwakwere will get back his cabinet seat that is has remained vacant soon after losing his parliamentary seat through an election petition filed by voter Juma Mwakwesi.