By E, KNA
Harrison Garama Kombe of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) retained his Parliamentary seat that he lost through an election petition more than one year ago.
Mr. Kombe was declared the winner in the just concluded by-election after garnering 17,909 votes against the petitioner, Stanley Karisa Kenga of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), who got 8,907 votes.
The by-election’s Returning Officer, Mr. Joseph Mwafondo, said that out of the 80,128 registered voters, only 27,808 voters (about 34.7 per cent) turned out at the 193 polling stations to vote.
In position three was Furaha Chengo Ngumbao, who got 227 votes while independent candidate Amos Katana Kalama scored 182 votes followed by Hamadi Chadi Karisa of Roots Party, who had 138 votes.
Others were Jacob Themo Kwicha (70 votes), Emmanuel Kitsao Kalama (60), Samuel Kombe Nzai (58) Sarah Wahito Gakahu (12), John Sulubu Masha (10). Mr. Kwicha is the only other candidate who was present during the declaration of the results. He conceded defeat and congratulated the winner.
Mr. Kombe thanked the electorate for having confidence in him and vowed to serve them diligently for the remaining period of his term in the National Assembly.
On hand to witness Kombe’s resounding victory were Kilifi and Mombasa Governors Gideon Mung’aro and Abdulswabad Sharrif Nassir, who is also ODM’s Deputy Party Leader, and several legislators from the Coast Region.
Immediately after the declaration, Mr. Kombe led his supporters in a celebration caravan across parts of the constituency, during which he thanked voters and vowed to work even harder to complete development projects he said had stalled when the courts nullified his election victory.
This is the second by-election Mr. Kombe has won since he threw his hat into politics, having won the first one in 2007, just seven months to that year’s General Election, in which he lost the Parliamentary Seat to current Senate Speaker Amason Jeffa Kingi.
Kombe was first elected on a Shirikisho Party of Kenya ticket in 2002 that was followed by the 2007 by-election. After losing in the 2007 General Election, he contested on a United Democratic Party ticket in 2013 and won. In 2017, Kombe was floored by Kingi’s younger brother, Michael Kingi before recapturing the seat on an ODM ticket in 2022.