Kitutu Chache South MP Richard Onyonka flanked by his wife holding the winner’s certificate after he was re-elected for the third term in a mini election on Tuesday. [Photo: Edwin Nyarangi/The Standard].Kitutu Chache South MP Richard Onyonka has been re-elected to serve for a third term in a mini election held on Tuesday after garnering 10,122 votes.
The Kitutu Chache South election was postponed in August following the death of the Jubilee candidate Leonard Mwamba in a grisly road accident while on the campaign trail along the Kisii- Kisumu road one month to the general election forcing the IEBC to reschedule it.
Jubilee Candidate Anthony Kibagendi emerged second after polling 5,074 votes, ODM candidate Samwel Omwando emerged third with 4,324 votes, and Wiper Party Candidate Andrew Maubi emerged fourth with 2,191 votes.
Henry Nyarang’o of KANU came in fifth with 201 votes, James Onkangi of PDP emerged sixth with 100 votes with Justus Mochoge of ANC Party was the last with 60 votes in results that were announced by the Constituency Returning Officer Hildah Imbo at 4am on Wednesday.
Ms. Imbo said that out of the registered 59,017 voters only 37.4% turned up to vote with 22,072 valid votes cast and 168 rejected in an exercise that was affected by heavy rains which may have hampered the turnout of voters.
Onyonka thanked NASA Principals Raila Odinga and Moses Wetangula for backing his bid which played a major role in ensuring that he was re-elected for his third and final term as the area MP promising to go for a higher seat in 2022.
“I would also like to thank Kisii Governor James Ongwae, Kisii Senator Samson Ongeri and Kisii Woman Representative Janet Ong’era for supporting my re-election bid, I promise to work with them closely in order to ensure that we develop Kisii County,” said Onyonka.
Onyonka who addressed his supporters immediately after being declared the winner at the Saint Mary’s Mosocho Constituency tallying centre called on his six opponents to join hands with him to ensure that he effectively serves the area residents in the next five years.
“It has been a tough battle for the last six months since we began campaigns for this election which were momentarily interrupted following the death of our brother Mwamba. However it is now time that we joined hands and put aside our political differences for the good of the people of Kitutu Chache South,” said Onyonka.
The newly elected MP promised to complete all development projects that he had initiated in his second term in office in order to ensure that he leaves behind a legacy as the first MP of the constituency which was created in 2013 after being carved off from the larger Kitutu Chache creating Kitutu Chache South and Kitutu Chache North.
Onyonka first contested for the Kitutu Chache Constituency seat in a by election held in January 1997 following the death of his father Dr ZacharyOnyonka who had served as the area MP for 27 years besides being a Cabinet Minister in the governments of Presidents Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel Moi.
Onyonka lost the by-election to Jimmy Angwenyi after vying for the same seat together with his uncle Prof. Oeri Tumbo
Richard subsequently ran in the 1997 and 2002 general elections and lost but won in in 2007.
In 2007 general election Onyonka defeated the National Assembly Deputy Majority Leader Jimmy Angwenyi and Kisii Governor James Ongwae who come from the same region after they divided their votes with Onyonka getting a block vote from his home area.
