Edith Nyenze Clinches Kitui West Parliamentary Seat

Edith Vethi Mwanzia Nyenze has clinched the Kitui West parliamentary seat following a by-election conducted on Monday.

Edith, who is the widow of late Kitui West MP Francis Nyenze, was declared the winner of the seat after garnering 72.67 percent of the total votes cast, in a poll marred by low voter turnout.

The Wiper party candidate got 14,372 votes to trounce his closest competitor by a whopping 12,326 votes. Only 38 percent of the 52,042 registered voters turned up.

Independent candidate Dennis Muli Mulwa came a distant second after garnering 2, 046 votes, while Nairobi businessman Robert Mutiso Lelli, who contested on a Narc-Kenya ticket came in third with 1,784 votes.

Mrs Nyenze was declared the winner by Kitui West Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) returning officer James Mbai at Matinyani Social Hall.

“I wish to declare Edith VEthi Nyenze as the Kitui West Member of Parliament-elect because she has garnered the highest number of votes” Mr Mbai said after manual tallying of the results from 143 polling centres.Other candidates in the race included; Kenya Social Congresses' Fridah Nyiva Mutui and Elijah Muimi Kilonzi of CCM.

“I’ll be the MP for all Kitui West people regardless of how you voted in this election” Mrs Nyenze said in a brief victory speech.