After failing three times to win, Franco Esposito the Kenyan of Italian origin who was eying the Kilifi Gubernatorial race has announced that he is retiring from politics to focus on his personal life.
Esposito who is famously known as Kasoso Baya was among the losers in the gubernatorial race which was won by ODM’s Gideon Mung’aro who garnered 143, 773 votes against Aisha Jumwa of UDA who got 65,893 and followed closely by George Kithi of PAA party who garnered 64, 326 votes.
In the results announced by IEBC on Friday night, Esposito an Independent candidate got 2,709 votes while Michael Tinga of Ford Kenya who had earlier dropped his ambition in favor of Kithi got 2864 votes.
Others are Alphonce Dzombo Mbaru of Safina Party (1497) and David Noti Kombe who garnered 2574 votes.
In an interview at his Woburn Residence in Malindi Esposito said he would continue with his work at his Woburn residence a Multi-million luxurious property comprising of hotel apartments and was looking forward to a good tourism season so as to be of benefit to him.
“My self I think am going to retire after this I will remain in Kenya because it’s my country I love it and I will die here but I will dedicate more time to myself travelling a little bit as far as I can to see the world and eventually in the next few years retire,” he said.
Esposito said he was selling his Woburn residence property but could not state the price adding that immediately after the election if there is a client willing to buy he will sell it,” he said.
Esposito said at one time in life a person must enjoy the fruits of his labour.
“I am selling it and am not in a rush but if I get a good proposal I will sell it,” he said.
On the 2022 General election in Kilifi, he said it was peaceful and everything went smooth in all the areas he visited in Magarini and Malindi.
“Few unfortunate things happened when I heard reports of vote buying, some people were found with ballot papers with some pre-organized ballots,” he said.
The Italian said it was unfortunate that the elections were mired with a lot of voter buying by some candidates yet most of the residents of Kilifi were poor and could not afford even Sh.100 of flour.
Esposito said he was aware that Mungaro was leading and would emerge the winner followed closely by the other candidates but was sure he was not among the winners particularly after receiving the reports of vote buying.
“I hope the tourism will come back we have the first charter coming in Kenya from Italy full and they are coming to Malindi which means there will be employed so we look forward to what the elected candidates will do for the people of Kilifi,” he said.
To him his Big issue was education and his aspiration was to reduce the illiteracy rate which was a drawback to development in the county.
“I hope those elected as governor, Member of parliament will focus 0n education my motto was without education there is no future, children who do not go to school have got no chance to survive especially in this competitive world and therefore it is extremely important,” he said.
The Italian said there is a need to invest in the Provision of water and electricity as most villages in the county cannot access those key commodities.
