Harrison Kombe Garama of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) successfully recaptured the Magarini Constituency parliamentary seat in a hotly contested by-election held on November 27, 2025.
Kombe secured a decisive victory with 17,909 votes, significantly outperforming his closest rival, Stanley Karisa Kenga of the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), who garnered 8,907 votes.
This by-election was necessitated after the Supreme Court, on May 31, 2024, upheld a decision nullifying Kombe’s 2022 election victory. The initial 2022 race saw Kombe win by a mere 21 votes, securing 11,946 votes against Kenga’s 11,925.
Kenga had successfully challenged the outcome in the High Court, citing “glaring irregularities” and “massive irregularities including ballot stuffing and the exchange of votes”. The High Court’s decision was subsequently affirmed by the Court of Appeal and ultimately by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court’s judgment highlighted that the 2022 election was not conducted in accordance with constitutional principles, citing issues such as the unlawful reopening of ballot boxes and improper result transmission.
The court emphasized that such irregularities, especially given the narrow margin, undermined the election’s integrity.
Kombe, a former teacher, enjoyed the backing of politicians affiliated with the broad-based government, while Kenga was supported by the United Opposition.
This victory marks a significant win for the ODM party and its allies, further solidifying their presence in the region.
