MCA wins ODM ticket for Kilifi Woman Rep

Kibarani Ward Representative Gertrude Mbeyu displays her ODM ticket for Kilifi Woman Representative on April 23, 2017 in her Rojo Rojo village. PHOTO | KAZUNGU SAMUEL | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Ms Mbeyu, a teacher by profession before joining active politics, was announced winner after getting 32,054 votes against Ms Riziki’s 28,722 votes.
  • The jubilant Mbeyu was received by her family and close friends including former chief of staff at the Kilifi governor’s office Caroline Kalume.

Kibarani Ward Representative Gertrude Mbeyu on Sunday evening won the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ticket for Kilifi Woman Representative after beating her competitor Juliet Riziki.

Ms Mbeyu, a teacher by profession before joining active politics, was announced winner after getting 32,054 votes against Ms Riziki’s 28,722 votes.

“Mbeyu is the winner for this post after garnering 32,054 votes against Juliet Riziki’s 28,722 and we wish her well as she battles for the seat in August,” said ODM election board chairman Mtana Lewa.

He then gave out the ticket to Ms Mbeyu who immediately headed to her home village in Rojo Rojo for a media briefing.

The jubilant Mbeyu was received by her family and close friends including former chief of staff at the Kilifi governor’s office Caroline Kalume.

“It is God, my family and the people of Kilifi County’s faith on me that enabled me to thrive in this journey,” she said of her win as she displayed her ODM certificate.

HAPPY JUMWA WON

She said that she was happy that her political mentor Aisha Jumwa had also won ODM ticket for the Malindi parliamentary seat saying the win was a symbol of change in Kilifi leadership, soon to be experienced.

“As I celebrate my win, I want also to congratulate Ms Aisha Jumwa for winning the Malindi MP seat ticket after beating William Mtengo. This is a new beginning for women leadership in the region,” she said.

She said that she was optimistic of winning the Woman Rep seat in August but said it will only be fulfilled when people will go out in large numbers to vote.

“I want to tell the people of Kilifi to come out in large numbers to vote for me in August. I have an elaborate manifesto that has touched on every aspect of development for women, including the utilisation programmes of the Affirmative Action Fund,” she said.

She described Riziki as an active woman who tried her best for the seat but the verdict of the people settled on her.

“I think Juliet Riziki is also an active politician and she tried her luck but at the end, the people decided that it was me and I hope she will support me in ODM so that we win the seat,” she said.

TOO EXHAUSTED

Ms Riziki later failed to address a press conference even after an alert was sent to the media in Kilifi that she wanted to respond to allegations of vote rigging for the seat.

When contacted by the Nation for the planned interview, she said she was too exhausted to speak to the media.

“There is no media briefing. I don’t feel like talking to the media right now. I am tired and just want to leave,” she told journalists who had camped at the Mnarani club for the planned interview.

Kilifi North aspirant Owen Baya who had called the press conference to protest over delayed release of the Woman Rep results, later, also called off the interview.

The Woman Rep results were delayed for almost a day by what Dr Mtana Lewa said were logistical problems of ferrying the votes from far flung areas of Magarini to the Kilifi ODM headquarters.