CORD leader Moses Wetangula has comfortably retained his seat as Senator for Bungoma County after garnering over 149 000 votes against Musikari Kombo who managed 79 000.
The Bungoma by election was a high stakes game which saw CORD Leaders Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka pitch tent in the area to support Wetangula as did Amani Leader Musalia Mudavadi and Eugene Wamalwa who were backing Kombo.
CORD was using the by election to gauge its popularity rating in Western Kenya while Mudavadi and Eugene were attempting to assert their authority in Luhya land a test which CORD seems to have won.
The re election of Wetangula now has him as the senior most luhya leader in National politics as indicated by the Bungoma voting which appeared to be an indication by the people to Mudavadi and Eugene that their time is over and Wetangula is the new King in Town.
The campaigns were characterized by exchanges in rallies which saw Mudavadi accompanied by Eugene lash out at former Premier Raila Odinga while Wetangulas pointman was Kakamega senator Bonny Khalwale who has re discovered a new form as a non nonsense politician.
There were reports of isolated incidences of violence and intimidation which the IEBC and the police promised too look into
AUTHOR: GEOFFREY LELMET