Deputy President (DP) William Ruto has congratulated Feisal Bader, the winner of the hotly-contested Msambweni by-election held on Tuesday, December 15.
Bader, an independent candidate who received support from DP Ruto’s allies, beat his closest challenger with a margin of 4,807 votes. He garnered 15,251 votes.
In congratulating Bader, Dr. Ruto credited the election win to the people’s power, saying the victory is a testament to a working democracy.
Following his party’s decision not to field a candidate in the Msambweni race despite his insistence, Ruto begrudgingly accepted Jubilee’s position.
This was after Jubilee Secretary-General Raphael Tuju announced the party would sit out the race in honour of the handshake between Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is the ruling party leader.
Initially, Ruto reportedly pushed to have Mariam Sharlet Akinyi run for the vacant seat on a Jubilee ticket, a move rebuffed by officials amid internal party wrangling that threatens to wrack and ruin Jubilee.
The seat fell vacant following the death of Suleiman Dori.
