By Johnson Chengo

Former Devolution Cabinet Administrative Secretary (CAS) Gideon Mung’aro beat outgoing Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa in the recently concluded general election to secure Kilifi County governor seat.

Mung’aro vied using Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) while Jumwa used President-Elect William Ruto’s led United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

The former CAS garnered 143,773 votes against Jumwa who got 65,893 votes.

Amason Kingi’s Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) party candidate George Kithi was third with 64,321 votes.

This was the second attempt Mung’aro was making to clinch county’s top seat.

In 2017 Mung’aro vied for the seat on a Jubilee party ticket and garnered 55, 107 votes against the outgoing governor Amason Kingi who emerged the winner with 213,174 votes.

Mung’aro allies said he was very strong and popular on the ground but he lost because he vied on a Jubilee party.

Jumwa who was the only female candidate in the race to oust Kingi ditched Odinga’s camp and joined Ruto’s UDA.

In 2017 Jumwa won the Malindi parliamentary seat on an ODM ticket. Kilifi County has been perceived as Raila Odinga’s stronghold for decades.

Out of the seven parliamentary seats in Kilifi County, ODM managed to secure four seats.

They include Paul Katana (MP Kaloleni), Ken Chonga (MP Kilifi South), Amina Mnyazi (MP Malindi) and Harrison Kombe (MP Magarini).

The others include Owen Baya UDA MP for Kilifi North, Kenneth Kazungu MP Ganze (PAA) and Kenga Mupe PAA MP for Rabai Constituency.

ODM also bagged the Senate and Woman Representative seats.

The County has been massively voting for ODM in the last three general elections.