Nine Nairobi MPs sent home as new ones take over

Nairobi County voters sent packing nine members of Parliament in the recent General Election.

Only eight lawmakers elected to the 11th Parliament in the 2013 elections have made it back to the 12th one.

The voters’ decision saw political heavyweights swept away.

SURVIVORS
Only Mr Kenneth Okoth (Kibra), Mr Timothy Wanyonyi (Westlands), Mr Paul Simba Arati (Dagoretti North), Mr James Mwangi Gakuya (Embakasi North), Mr George Theuri (Embakasi West), Mr Yusuf Hassan Abdi (Kamukunji), Mr Isaac Waihenya Ndirangu (Roysambu) and Mr T.J. Kajwang’ (Ruaraka) were spared.

Those sent home are Mr Dennis Waweru (Dagoretti South), Mr John Ndirangu (Embakasi Central), Mr John Omondi (Embakasi East), Mr Irshadali Mohamed Sumra (Embakasi South), Mr John Njoroge Chege (Kasarani), Mr Joash Olum (Lang’ata), Mr Benson Mutura (Makadara), Mr Steven Kariuki (Mathare) and Mr Maina Kamanda (Starehe).

NOMINATIONS

Mr Waweru lost to comedian John Kiarie, alias KJ, twice.

The first time was in the Jubilee Party primary and the second was in the main election, in which Mr Waweru contested as an independent.

Mr Ndirangu lost to Mr Benjamin Gathiru in the Jubilee primary for the Embakasi Central seat, while Mr Omondi was defeated in the ODM primary by political greenhorn and former University of Nairobi student leader Paul Ongili, alias Babu Owino.

NIXON KORIR
Mr Julius Musili Mawathe replaced Mr Sumra.

Ms Mercy Wanjiku Gakuya beat Mr Chege, both in party nomination and in the main election after he chose to go the independent way, to become the only woman MP in the county.

Mr Nixon Korir, popularly known to his supporters as Generali, replaced Mr Olum of ODM.

STAREHE

Former Nairobi mayor George Aladwa defeated Mr Mutura of Jubilee.

Lawyer Anthony Oluoch replaced Bishop Margaret Wanjiru’s son, Mr Steven Kariuki, as MP for Mathare.

Musician Charles Kanyi Njagua came tops in Starehe to replace Mr Kamanda, in a contest of youthful politicians.

He contested against activist Boniface Mwangi and businessman Steve Mbogo Ndwiga.

JUBILEE/ODM WAR
The Jubilee Party has the highest number of new lawmakers, leading with five.

ODM has three and the Wiper Democratic Movement one.

ODM regained the Makadara and Mathare seats but lost the Lang'ata one.