Senatorial aspirant in the concluded Migori by-election Eddy Oketch has rubbished allegations that he is of Kikuyu origin.
Speaking on Radio Maisha Monday morning, Oketch whose ‘Gicheru’ middle name was a major topic in the race maintained that he is a native of the county and entirely from the Luo community.
He added that he adopted the name from one of his adoptive parents who took him in during his younger days, and who went ahead to partially sponsor his education.
Oketch said that he readily accepted the name due to his lifetime liking of former Chief Justice Evans Gicheru, before accepting to have it included in his documents.
‘’Gicheru was my father in the second family that adopted me. Besides, I always admired Evans Gicheru so when a Kikuyu man named Gicheru adopted me I saw no harm in assimilating the name,’’ he noted.
He termed the name as one of the reasons that cost him the seat which was won by former Cabinet Minister Ochillo Ayacko of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
‘’Some senior politicians branded me a Kikuyu because of the name, in a bid to combat me,’’ added the youthful leader who vied on the Federal Party of Kenya (FPK) party ticket.
Oketch garnered 60, 555 votes, while Ayacko bagged the victory courtesy of his 85, 234 votes.