Taita Taveta Governor John Mruttu has lost the ODM nomination to National Assembly minority whip Thomas Mwadeghu.
Mwadeghu garnered 18,421 votes against Mruttu’s 15,911 to clinch the party’s ticket ahead of the August 8 general election.
In Wundanyi, Mruttu got 3,628 votes while Mwadeghu got 4,417. In Taveta, he got 5,112 votes while was backed by 1,181 voters.
The Governor got 3,950 votes in Voi where Mwadeghu garnered 4,197. In Mwatate, Mruttu polled 3,221 votes while Mwadeghu got 8,626.
The Election board had not announced the results by press time, officials claiming they had not received Mwatate votes.
Mwadeghu said: “Nimemshinda na tunahimiza election board itoe matokeo ya Mwatate haraka kwa maana hiyo ndio inaleta shida.”
This loosely translates to: “I defeated him. I urge the board to quickly release the results for Mwatate as there lies the problem.)
But Mruttu said some centres were not opened preventing his supporters from voting for him.
“Vituo karibu sita zilifungwa… [watu] wanaona ni kama walifungiwa ili wasihusiane na hilo zoezi,” he said.
(About six polling stations were shut. The people believe they were kept from voting.)
On Tuesday, Mruttu expressed fears the party was ill-prepared for the nominations.
Jones Mwaruma beat Richard Tairo in the senator nomination after getting 21,399 votes against his 11,482.
Anisa Hope Sanguli beat Anastanzia Wakesho for the woman representative ticket with 16,401 against the latter’s 16,040.
