Outgoing Lamu County Women Representative Ruweida Obo has won the hotly contested Lamu East MP seat and unseated incumbent two term MP Abdul Sharif Athman (UDA).
Returning Officer, Stephen Karani announced that the Jubilee Party candidate managed to garner 5,498 votes against Athman’s 4,633 votes which was enough to see her sail through and claim her place as the first elected woman MP in Lamu’s history.
Coming in third was Shekule Kamala Komoro who ran on a Kanu ticket and managed to get 3,180 votes and at fourth was Wiper Party candidate Madhubuti Mohammed who got 1,632 votes.
In her celebration speech, the MP elect thanked Lamu East residents and promised to deliver on her development agenda pledge for Lamu East residents.
She stated that Lamu East residents have in the past endured uninspired leadership, which she added has seen the area stagnate without any proper infrastructure being built to enable Lamu East residents have a better quality of life.
“My tenure will mark a shift in how education, health and infrastructure concerns are addressed in Lamu East,” she noted adding that areas such as the Boni have been marginalized with no one giving concern to the plight of those living within the area’s five villages.
The outgoing woman representative further stated that her election for the Lamu East MP seat is a statement by the electorate in the area that they are ready to be represented by good leadership regardless of gender.
“It is no small feat that the electorate in Lamu East have had to transcend social stereotypes and ensure that they voted for me, based on my development and leadership track record,” she said.
Obo further said that she will address the plight of the girl and the boy child in Lamu East whom she added are cause for concern especially with the high rate of unemployment in the area.
“One of the areas I will address is to ensure that the incoming national government administration puts a close to the Sh1.76 billion Lamu fishermen compensation,” she said adding that a large constituency of Lamu fishermen who would benefit from the reparation are from Lamu East.
She further said she would work closely with the national government in ensuring that it implements legislation aimed at addressing the plight of the marginalized within Kenya.
By Amenya Ochieng
