KJ clinches Jubilee ticket in Dagoretti South
Former Redykulas comedian John Kiarie alias KJ has floored Dennis Waweru to clinch Dagoretti South Jubilee party ticket.
The comedian garnered 9,793 votes to emerge first in a hotly contested race flooring the current area Member of Parliament Dennis Waweru who emerged 9,051 while third place went to Gaciku Muhu with 6,174.
Addressing the media after being declared the winner by the returning officer Amos Ngaira, Mr Kiarie thanked his supporters for the win crediting their selfless support against a well-oiled money machine fronted by his opponent.
REVOLUTIONARY CAMPAIGN
“This win was due to our strategy. We were up against a moneyed opponent. There is no other in the history of this constituency that money has been poured during campaigns like this time. We won because of the manifesto I presented to the electorate,” said Kiarie.
He credited his revolutionary campaign tactics, which incorporated community leaders as the plan that won over voters and also shielded him from his opponent who he accused of attempts to infiltrate his campaign team.
“The community leaders went in every corner of the constituency to mobilise voters,” he said.
CONTEST RESULTS
Despite the win, he has, however, contested the results saying that what had been announced by the returning officer was different from the tallies declared from different polling stations.
He said that the official tally showed that he was leading Mr Waweru with 9,477 votes who had just over 6,000 votes.
“We would like to contest what has been announced here because it is contradictory to what has been announced at each of the polling stations. No wonder they announced them and immediately fled. It is a wrong result and we are contesting it,” he said.
This was the third time Mr Kiarie was contesting the seat but the first on a Jubilee party ticket.
In 2007, Mr Kiarie contested the seat on an Orange Democratic Movement party ticket but lost to Beth Mugo.
He contested once more in 2013 on an ODM ticket but lost in the general elections to the current MP Mr Waweru.
