By Dorothy Musyoka
Boyd Were of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has been declared the new Member of Parliament for Kasipul constituency, successfully retaining the seat previously held by his late father, Charles Ong’ondo Were.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Returning Officer Rebecca Obwaku announced Boyd as the MP-elect after he topped a field of ten candidates with 16,819 votes in the November 27 by-election.
His closest challenger, independent candidate Philip Aroko, secured 8,476 votes.
The by-election was occasioned by the tragic death of former MP Charles Ong’ondo Were, who was shot by gunmen on a motorbike in Nairobi earlier this year. His passing left the constituency in mourning and triggered the election to fill the vacant seat.
Speaking shortly after being declared the winner at Agoro Sare High School, Boyd Were expressed deep gratitude to the people of Kasipul for their overwhelming support. He pledged to serve all constituents fairly and to honour his father’s legacy by delivering on his campaign promises.
According to the IEBC, 32,260 voters turned out to cast their ballots out of the 67,513 registered voters in the constituency.