Wiper Democratic Movement of Kenya has denied that its candidate Julius Mawathe won the just-concluded by-election in Embakasi South courtesy of Deputy President William Ruto.
Through Director of Communications Onesmus Kilonzo, the party said Mawathe’s win was purely the hard work and great strategies laid down by the Wiper officials led by Kalonzo Musyoka.
Kilonzo dismissed speculations that Ruto and his footsoldiers helped the Wiper candidate register a massive victory in the Friday’s by-elections.
He said that even though the ODM had attempted to link Mawathe to the Ruto’s camp during campaigns, the plans did not succeed.
The spokesperson said it was clear to all parties that the Wiper candidate was the right leader since he had been validly elected on August 8, 2017, before his win was overturned by courts.
“ODM’s attempts to associate Mawathe and Wiper with Ruto and his Tanga Tanga team also fell flat. If anything, Wiper won that seat in August 2017 even when ODM and Jubilee had candidates anyway,” Kilonzo said.
Mawathe garnered 21,628 against ODM’s candidate’s Irshad Sumra who got 7,988 votes. Ruto was among the first senior politicians to congratulate the Wiper candidate following his impressive win.
A section of Kenyans further took to social media, using the hashtag #AsanteRuto, to hail the DP for ‘helping’ Mawathe, alongside Ugenya MP-elect David Ochieng, win in the hotly contested by-elections.