Scramble For Nairobi: Seats Won by UDA, Azimio, From Governor to MCAs

Scramble for Nairobi
From Left: Nairobi Woman Representative-elect Esther Passaris, Senator-elect Edwin Sifuna, and Governor-elect Johnson Sakaja.
File

Political battles in Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi have in the past emerged to be cutthroat contests as major political parties flex their muscles.

This year’s elections were not an exception, with the two major political factions-Kenya Kwanza and Azimio facing off. 

In terms of how the two political formations faired, the Azimio bagged the lion's share of Nairobi’s parliamentary seats, if results declared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission - IEBC are anything to go by.

dj dj
A collage of Nairobi Senator-elect Edwin Sifuna and Nairobi Woman Rep-elect Esther Passaris.
Kenyans.co.ke

Out of the 17 constituencies- Jubilee Party, ODM, and Wiper which are under the Azimio umbrella bagged 12 seats.

ODM candidates won in Dagorreti North (Beatrice Elachi), Westlands (Tim Wanyonyi), Lang’ata (Felix Odiwour - Jalang'o), Ruaraka (TJ Kajwang), Makadara (George Aladwa), Kibra (Peter Ochieng), Mathare (Anthony Oluoch), and Embakasi East (Babu Owino). 

Jubilee, a partner member in the Azimio coalition won three seats in Nairobi county to add more seats to the Azimio basket.

Amos Mwago and Mark Mwenje were declared the winners in Starehe and Embakasi West respectively- after beating the formidable competition staged by their opponents in the Kenya Kwanza Alliance. 

The President Uhuru Kenyatta- led party also won the Kamukunji parliamentary seat where incumbent MP Yusuf Hassan retained his seat. 

Wiper Party also triumphed in the Embakasi South MP elections where the incumbent MP Musili Mawathe defended his seat, hence bringing the total number of elected MPs affiliated to the Azimio coalition to 12. 

On the other hand, UDA under the Kenya Kwanza Alliance has four seats on the list dominated by Azimio la Coalition parties. 

Augustine Kamande alias ‘Mawfrika won the Roysambu MP seat, dislodging the outgoing legislator Waihenya Ndirangu who ran on a Jubilee Party ticket. 

Incumbent MP for Dagorreti South John Kiarie waded off competition from former MP Dennis Waweru to clinch the seat in favor of UDA.

Deputy President William Ruto's UDA also won in Embaksi Central (Benjamin Gathiru  Mejjadonk) and Embakasi North (James Gakuya ) constituencies bringing the total number of MPs under Kenya Kwanza to four. 

The Kasarani parliamentary seat went in favor of independent candidate Ronald Karauri after edging off his competitors from both Jubilee and UDA. 

In the county seats, Esther Passaris of ODM won the seat of Nairobi Woman Representative seat after trouncing her close opponent Milicent Omanga of UDA.

Passaris garnered 698,929 votes while Milicent Omanga came in at second place with 586,246 votes. 

ODM also won the Nairobi Senate position after ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna was announced the winner on Sunday, August 14.

Sifuna got 716, 876 votes while second-placed Bishop Margret Wanjiru of UDA had 524,091 votes. 

UDA, however, won the coveted seat of the city’s Governor. Outgoing Senator Johnson Sakaja was declared the winner after warding off potent opposition from former Deputy Governor Polycarp of Jubilee. 

City Hall Battle

Worth noting is the significance of the number of Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) garnered by each party. In a city with a history of impeachments of governors, both factions were keen to secure the majority share of the MCAs. 

Parties that form the Azimio la Umoja Coalition have the majority of seats in Nairobi at 44. ODM has 35 MCAs out of the 85 wards in the city. The Jubilee party has five while the wiper party has four. 

On the other hand, UDA has 36 MCAs while Chama Cha Kazi which is affiliated with Kenya Kwanza has 1 MCA. 

In addition, the Nairobi County Assembly will also have two independent MCAs. 

However, residents of Kwa Njenga and Utawala Wards will have to wait until August 23 to know their MCAs. This is after the elections in the areas were postponed by the IEBC.

Azimio Nairobi County gubernatorial candidate Polycarp Igathe and UDA's Johnson Sakaja during the Nairobi County Gubernatorial debate at CUEA on July 11, 2022.
Azimio Nairobi County gubernatorial candidate Polycarp Igathe and UDA's Johnson Sakaja during the Nairobi County Gubernatorial debate at CUEA on July 11, 2022.
Kenyans.co.ke