Orange Democratic Movement(ODM) candidate Pavel Oimeke has won Bonchari parliamentary by-election.
This is after he garnered 8,049 votes against Jubilee’s Zebedeo Opore with 7,279.
The Independent and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) announced the results in the wee hours today morning.
United Democratic Party(UDA) candidate Teresa Bitutu took position three with 6,964 votes.
However, during the voting process, Oimeke condemned the heavy presence of police claiming that they were harassing his agents and intimidating voters.
“My agent in Nyamare Primary School has this morning been arrested and this is unacceptable. The police are intimidating the voters so that they cannot come out and vote,” he said.
Congratulating Oimeke on his victory, Raila Odinga pointed fingers at Kenyan security agencies, claiming that the by-elections in the Bonchari and Juja constituencies demonstrated wilful abuse of police power and impunity.
In a statement, Raila said that elections are a chance for voters to express themselves, not for politicians to pursue ‘imaginary and short-lived political interests.’
“What we have witnessed in the by-elections in Bonchari and Juja is an abuse of police powers and an arrogant display of Impunity by a few overzealous and bellicose government functionaries. An election process is an opportunity for the voters to express their will at the ballot and not an avenue to pursue Imaginary and Short-Legged political interests. Security forces exist to serve the people and not the interests of those out to conduct political experiments,” he tweeted.
“The peaceful co-existence post-2018 must Not be taken for granted by some rogue elements wanting to confuse the Handshake for an excuse to Erode our hard-earned liberties!”