Veteran journalist Eric Obino has finally been awarded the Kenya African National Union (KANU) nomination certificate to vie for the Nyaribari Chache parliamentary seat during the August 9 General Elections.
Obino who is believed to have taken a sabbatical at People Daily where he is the Editor-In-Chief, received the certificate on Thursday evening after decamping to KANU from Orange Democratic Party (ODM). This is after ODM gave his rival James Kenani a direct ticket for the race.
Being a house hold name in Kisii, Obino who has served in key editorial positions at the Daily Nation and People Daily, may be a force to reckon with during the polls.
However, the last time KANU produced an MP in the constituency was before the introduction of Multi Party Politics and the legislators who represented Nyaribari Chache on a KANU ticket were Andrew John Omanga and Simeon Nyachaye.
Obino will be seeking to unseat currently MP Richard Tongi who is seeking a third term. Tongi was elected on a Jubilee ticket in 2017, but was in Ford People in 2013.
The populous constituency that is also cosmopolitan, has six wards namely Kisii Central, Keumbu, Bobaracho where Obino hails from, Kiogoro, Birongo and Ibeno.