Incumbent Budalangi MP Ababu Namwamba who was seeking re-election on Labour Party of Kenya ticket has lost his seat to ODM candidate.
Ababu’s move to ditch ODM in favor of Labour Party of Kenya (LPK) turned to be a costly move for him as majority of residents opted to vote for ODM candidate Raphael Bita Wanjala.
Wanjala won with 11, 182 votes which represents 44.06% of the votes cast while Ababu managed to garner 9,795 votes which is 36.95% of votes cast.
Wanjala is however not a new face in politics, he served as MP for Budalangi constituency between 1997 to 2007 before Ababu Namwamba took over for two terms 2007-2017.
The Budalangi MP-elect is also a very controversial figure, Wanjala was arrested in 2013 together with his lover Joyce Akinyi over drug trafficking claims at Isinya along Nairobi-Namanga highway.
Wanjala’s win proves Busia region is strongly inclined to Raila Odinga whose party has secured most seats in the border county.