McDonald Mariga has lost Kibra parliamentary race twice in a span of three years – in 2019 and in 2022.
Mariga first contested for Kibra MP seat in 2019 following the death of the then MP Ken Okoth who succumbed to cancer.
Ken’s brother Imran Okoth handed Mariga his first defeat in the November 2019 by-election.
Mariga conceded defeat early even before the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) announced the official results.
Imran Okoth, who vied with ODM, garnered 24,636 votes with Jubilee Party’s McDonald Mariga came in second with 11,230 votes.
The Kibra by-election was billed as a battle between ODM party leader Raila Odinga and Deputy President William Ruto who led campaigns for Mariga.
In the August 9th 2022 general election, Mariga contested in the Kibra parliamentary seat on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket.
Once again Mariga lost to ODM, with the party’s candidate Peter Orero winning the Kibra MP seat with 33,008 votes.
Mariga came in second with 20,049 votes while Imran Okoth who was vying as independent came third with 18,901 votes.,
Okoth who is the incumbent lost in the ODM primaries and chose to vie as an independent candidate.
Orero’s victory in the August 9th 2022 general election affirms that Kibra is a Raila stronghold to the core. Voters vote along party line – this has been proved over and over again.
What Mariga needs to do win Kibra parliamentary seat is simply to stop supporting Ruto and align himself with Raila Amolo Odinga.
