Majimbo Kalasinga wins Kabuchai parliamentary by-election

Joseph Majimbo Kalasinga is the MP-elect of Kabuchai Constituency after trouncing seven other candidates in a hotly contested mini poll.

Kalasinga garnered 19,274 votes which represent 65 per cent of the total votes cast.

His closet challenger Evans Kakai of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) got 6,455 votes representing 22 per cent.

The results were announced by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Returning Officer for Kabuchai Constituency Mr Benson Esuza at Mabanga Agricultural Training Centre. Mabanga ATC was the commission's tallying centre.

Amos Wekesa of the Federal Party of Kenya came a distant third with 1,454 votes (5 per cent) followed by Dr Gasper Wafubwa at the fourth position after he garnered 1,236 votes (4 per cent).

Voter turnout was 51.68 per cent and the total votes cast were 29,798. There were 320 rejected votes.

The constituency has a total of 57, 654 registered voters

Majimbo now becomes the second legislator for Kabuchai Constituency and will succeed James Mukwe Lusweti who died in December last year after battling arthritis for a long time.

Majimbo's victory is a big relief to Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang'ula whose party was fighting to retain the seat after Deputy President William Ruto sponsored a candidate through the newly formed UDA party to battle for the seat.

A loss for Ford Kenya would have been a major setback for Wetang’ula’s clout in Western Kenya just months after two of his close allies in Ford Kenya, Kanduyi MP Wafula Wamunyinyi and Tongaren MP Dr David Eseli had unsuccessfully tried to oust him from party leadership.

Kabuchai is Wetang'ula's turf and the bedrock of the lion party.

The victory of Majimbo and to a large extent Wetang'ula may greatly affect the political future of the two rebel MPs and the Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati who has broken ranks with Wetang'ula.