Sportpesa CEO, Ex-DP Ruto Staffer Among Surprise Winners

His win continued the trend of Kasarani never re-electing an MP in 39 years.

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
Aug 11, 2022 - 06:09 Updated: Aug 11, 2022 - 06:35
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Sportpesa CEO, Ex-DP Ruto Staffer Among Surprise Winners
Sportpesa CEO, Ronald Karauri. /FILE

Sportpesa Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ronald Karauri is the new Kasarani Member of Parliament (MP).

Karauri's bet on himself paid off after he garnered 32,406 votes. As an independent candidate, he upset the likes of United Democratic Alliance (UDA)'s John Kamau with 30,444 votes and Mercy Gakuya of President Uhuru Kenyatta's Jubilee party with 24,790 votes.

His win continued the trend of Kasarani never re-electing an MP in 39 years. Gakuya was an incumbent candidate but failed to retain her seat despite being considered the popular pick.

Sportpesa CEO Ronald Karauri. /STANDARD DIGITAL

Gakuya, who ran for office in 2017 on a Jubilee ticket, defeated her predecessor John Njoroge Chege (Independent) and Steven Paul of the ODM by a landslide. At the polls, she received 78,698 votes in comparison to Paul's 17,938, while Njoroge came in a distant third with 16,851 votes.

The constituency, which was once part of Mathare (then called North East Nairobi), was historically one of the city's largest and encompassed the enormous Mathare slum as well as areas surrounding the capital; Machakos and Thika.

The last MP to run for a second term in the constituency was Munyua Waiyaki, and from 1963, he held the seat for four terms in a row.

Another surprise winner was the Former Chief of Staff in the office of Deputy President William Ruto, Ms Marianne Kitany, who was elected as Aldai Member of Parliament (MP) on a UDA ticket, another boost for the deputy president.

Kitany beat her competitor, Cornelly Serem with 42,015 votes against Serem's 13,309 votes.

Ruto's business partner, Patrick Osero, clinched the Borabu parliamentary seat on an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party ticket.

This means that ODM secured an important seat in Nyamira County- an area considered to be Azimio la Umoja presidential candidate, Raila Odinga's backyard.

Osero is a director at Weston Hotel, which is owned by the deputy president. In 2015, Osero claimed sole proprietorship of the controversial hotel, insisting that Ruto frequented the place as his friend. 

In the Jubilee Party, Ruweida Mohamed Obo was announced the MP-elect of Lamu East constituency. Ruweida, who made history by being the first woman to be elected in the area in history, garnered 5,498 votes against incumbent Sharif Athman Ali's 4,633 votes.

Sirisia lawmaker John Waluke defended his seat on a Jubilee ticket. Waluke garnered 16,461 votes and was followed by Ford Kenya candidate Nasiuma Wafula who managed 8,811 votes.

An image of Marianne Kitany. /DAILY NATION

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