Ms Esther Passaris

May 12, 2008

Ms Esther Passaris, formerly the Managing Director of Adopt-A-Light Company is gunning up for a battle to win the Embakasi Constituency seat which was left vacant following the death of Hon. Mugabe Were who was killed barely one month after he won the seat in the December 27 general elections.

The country is set to conduct five parliamentary by-elections in June. The Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) Chairman Samuel Kivuitu said the elections will be held on June 11.

Ms Passaris whose ambition to serve as Mayor of Nairobi City was cut short after the then Local Government minister Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta rescinded her nomination to City Hall, over the weekend toured parts of Embakasi constituency where she decried the poor state of sanitation and poor infrastructure and sent a message to Embakasi constituents that they deserved better than that. Passaris also called upon them to demand better service from the government.

On Sunday May 11, Passaris attended Sunday Mass at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Dandora where she said she had gone to seek God’s guidance. She was accompanied by a group of local councillors.

Earlier in the week, Ms Passaris was quoted in a section of the media stating that she was yet to make up her mind, "I’ve been approached by a number of residents. But I’m still weighing my options," Passaris told a local newspaper.

“I still have the bigger dream of representing the entire city as a Mayor and not just Embakasi Constituency as an MP. I can do more from the City Hall." Said the Nairobi business lady.

In February this year, Ms Passaris braced herself for the Nairobi Mayoral elections. The seat went to ODM Baba Dogo Councillor, Mr.Godfrey Majiwa.

Others who have shown interest in the Embakasi seat include Party of National Unity’s Ferdinand Waititu who came second in the last December poll, Mr. Irshad Mohammed Sumra, Mr Lawrence Sifuna, former Kibwezi MP Kalembe Ndile, Mr Stephen Mwanga, who contested the Ugenya Parliamentary seat but lost to Lands minister Mr James Orengo and Mr. Julius Were, a brother to the late Hon. Mugabe Were.

Other constituencies that are set for the June 11 by-elections are, Emuhaya constituency which fell vacant after its member of parliament Hon Kenneth Marende was elected parliament speaker.

While in Wajir East, there was no winner after two rival candidates tied in the final results and in Kilgoris, the ECK refused to release results after hooligans invaded the counting hall and chased away officials. In Ainamoi, the area MP David Kimutai Too was killed by a policeman as he drove to his home.