Malala concedes defeat, lauds IEBC for free and fair election
Amani National Congress candidate in the Kakamega governorship election Cleophas Malala has accepted the outcome of the election.
Addressing the media on Tuesday hours after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) announced the final results, Malala congratulated ODM’s Fernandes Barasa for the win.
Mr Barasa was declared the winner in the hotly-contested battle with 192,929 votes against Malala’s 159,508 votes.
Malala said that the election was conducted in a free and fair manner and that he will live to fight another day.
“We found that we lost with about 29,000 votes. We have accepted the outcome of the election that was conducted yesterday (Monday) because the constitution states that there will be an election after every five years and there will be a winner and a loser,” Malala said.
Malala also said he is ready to offer some of his manifesto to the governor-elect for the progress of Kakamega county.
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“I congratulate governor elect, Hon Fernandes Barasa and his team for their win. It is deserved and undisputable. I am ready to offer any part of my manifesto that they may find suitable in their new government for the progress of Kakamega. I also laud IEBC for conducting free, fair, credible and verifiable elections,” he said.
The former Kakamega Senator also said that the defeat is a lesson for him and that it is a high time for Kakamega residents, regardless of their political affiliation, to rally behind the governor-elect for the county to realize her full socio-economic potential.
The Kakamega election was also a battle between the Kenya Kwanza Alliance of the President-elect Dr William Ruto and Azimio la Umoja – One Kenya Coalition’s Raila Odinga.
During the campaigns for the delayed elections, Dr Ruto unleashed ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi and Senator Boni Khalwale to sway the votes in Malala’s favour, while ODM’s campaign team was led by the outgoing governor Wycliffe Oparanya.