Immediate Magarini legislator Harrison Kombe bounced back with a landslide victory as the Magarini MP-elect in the just concluded by elections.
Kombe, who has been out in the cold for almost two years due to lack of a constituted Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) after his 2022 victory was nullified by the Malindi high court.
He garnered 17,909 votes against his political rival Stanley Karisa Kenga of the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) who garnered 8,907 votes.
The other candidates in the by elections in Kilifi county, Amos Katana (Independent) got 182 votes, Karisa Hamadi Chadi (Roots Party) managed 138 votes, Kwicha Jacob Themo (Federal Party) 70 votes and Kalama Emmanuel Kitsao (The We Alliance Party) ended up with 60 votes.
Kombe’s rival, Kenga, was in UDA during the last polls before jumping ship.
Kenga had finished second in the 2022 race with 11,925 votes behind the incumbent who had garnered 11,946 votes.
Kenga had filed a petition against Kombe’s re-election bid leading to the nullification of the election outcome by the Malindi High Court citing glaring irregularities in the process where only 21 votes separated the two candidates.
After being declared MP-elect after trouncing his competitors, Kombe lauded the electorate for being patient and waiting for the d-day to commence.
He applauded the electorate for having confidence in him to ensure he is re-elected.
“I wish to thank the Orange Democratic Movement [ODM] leadership for standing stable with me to the end of the by election,” he said.
