As the curtains close on campaigns for the November 27 by-elections, candidates in Magarini constituency in Kilifi County are hopeful that they have convinced voters of their capability to sort out the myriad challenges facing the constituency in Kilifi County.
Unlike many other by-elections in the country, which resulted from the deaths of incumbent leaders or the nomination of politicians to the Cabinet, the Magarini by-election was triggered by the nullification of the 2022 election results at the Supreme Court.
The court nullified the victory of ODM's Harrison Kombe, who had been announced winner by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) with 11,946 votes against UDA's Stanley Kenga, who got 11,925, due to irregularities.
ODM candidate in the Magarini parliamentary seat by-election Harrison Kombe during a campaign rally in the constituency November 2, 2025. Photo credit: Kevin Odit | Nation Media Group
In Magarini, one of the impoverished areas of Kilifi County, residents face historical challenges that include lack of clean water, human-wildlife conflicts, land disputes, poor health services, a cycle of drought and floods that cause constant hunger, and poor education infrastructure.
In recent years, the county government of Kilifi together with well-wishers made efforts to set up solar-powered boreholes to deal with perennial water shortages.
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