Written By Ramadhan Kambi 📝
Franco Esposito popularly known as Kasoso Baya is contesting for an elective post for the third time.
He first contested for the Magarini Parliamentary seat in 2007 and lost before contesting again in 2017 and lost to Michael Kingi the Current MP for Magarini.
This time he chose to go as an independent candidate and is confident of becoming the second governor of Kilifi after the current Governor Amason Kingi who is on his second and final term in office.
Two more are set to be cleared today, which is also the deadline for clearance of all candidates seeking elective posts.
Those who were cleared include Former Devolution CAS Gideon Mung’aro (ODM) Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa (UDA), lawyer George Kithi (PAA), Franco Esposito Kasoso Baya, a Kenyan of Italian Origin (Independent), and Engineer Dzombo Mbaru of Safina party.
Former Magarini MP Noti Kombe and businessman Michael Kombe are set to know their fate today.
Kilifi County IEBC Returning Officer Hussein Gurre said the two were not registered because of some minor issues but would be cleared once they fulfil the requirements.
Addr4essing journalists at the Kenya Red Cross Society branch conference hall in Malindi where the excursive is being conducted he said so far, the excursive has been going on without any hitches or quarrels and expressed optimism that the trend will continue.
“As you are aware the elections are on August 9 we are preparing well and we hope things will remain the same,” he said.
Gurre appealed to aspirants from MCAs to governors to ensure they maintain peace and desist from any clashes or perpetration of violence against any individual.
He said they are vigilant to ensure anyone who goes against the rules faces the full force of the law.
“If the registration exercise is something to go by, we expect to have peaceful campaigns, peaceful elections and the person who wins any race will have won because he or she obtained the most votes in the area they are being elected,” he said.
Esposito one of those cleared to vie as an independent candidate said he was confident of winning these elections as his campaigns will be focused on more than just looking for votes.
He said his team will be going around the entire seven constituencies to campaign.
On the other hand, he said his main target would be to reach out to the locals who are majority suffering to convince them of new leadership for change that seeks to empower the people.
“I am Answering the call of the People from Kilifi County who are looking for a change in the way of running the government of Kilifi County which should respond to the need for good governance and progress in education, development infrastructure, and investment in our economy,” he said.
Esposito will be using the name Kasoso Baya on the Ballot box for easy identification by his voters and is being deputized by a former Assistant County Commissioner Alphonce Kombe from Kaloleni constituency.
Earlier Pamoja African Alliance Candidate George Kithi together with his Deputy Athman Seif Were also cleared.
Kithi told journalists that the clearance exercise was thorough and was still going on even after one is cleared.
He said those who have issues will be in for a rude shock once the IEBC complete their verifications.
Later he joined hundreds of supporters in marching the streets of Malindi town in a convoy of vehicles while he accompanied by other Candidates from PAA walked all the way to BP and then headed to Kilifi.
Kithi said they would do peaceful campaigns and called on all residents of Kilifi to desist from any form of violence during the campaign period.
“There is no need for a person to clash with another one because of people seeking to be elected, the same same leaders are the ones who compare notes after campaigns,” he said.
Dzombo Mbaru of Safina Party who was also cleared alongside his deputy designate Rita baya said their agenda had five pillars including ensuring people recognize themselves as Kilifians, governance, services such as education, water, infrastructure, and health.
“Fourthly is enterprise Kilifi which focuses on all businesses, in economics, we check on micro and macroeconomics of Kilifi, we focus on how a person of Kilifi’s economy will thrive,” he said.
Mbaru said he intends to revive the cooperative movement as for the county to thrive there have to be SACCOs that will uplift the lives of people.
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