Family blood ties were put on the line in Kenya's general elections when a mother and her son battled for a political seat.
A mother and her son vied for a political seat in Kenya.See who emerged victorious
Beatrice Kones and her firstborn son Kevin Kones battled for the Bomet East Parliamentary seat in this year's elections.
Jubilee Party candidate Beatrice Kones, the wife of former minister Kipkalya Kones, went head-to-head with her firstborn Kevin Kones, of the Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM) party as they sought to claim the Bomet East parliamentary seat.
Mr. Kones was confident of a win and vowed not to step down in favour of his mother saying that he would emerge victorious under the CCM party.
“It is my belief that CCM stands for what we aspire for as a people. Look at its stand on devolution. That is what I stand for since my late father also did the same,” he said.
However, results from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) seemed to give a very different narrative from that of Mr Kones.
As of Wednesday evening, Beatrice Kones had garnered 22,796 votes against her son's measly 2,410 votes, a clear indication that she was the outright winner.
Ms Kones had earlier on exuded confidence, saying she would win the seat. “The seat I lost in 2013 is coming back and I will not let the people of Bomet East down. If he was in Jubilee, it would be a different tale," she said.
The duel, that had sparked excitement in the region, was viewed by residents as a pointer to democracy which allows anyone to vie for any elective position of their choice. Others, however viewed it as a family discord.
Ms Kones was first elected MP following the death of her husband in a plane crash in Enoosopukia, Narok County.
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