Okiya Omtatah: Rights Crusader Rewarded With Senate Win

MARTIN SIELEAug 12, 20221.3k

Omtatah has been confirmed as the Senator-elect for Busia County. [Photo/ PD]

Okiya Omtatah is a known to many Kenyans as a one-man army against all sorts of injustices against the people. Despite not being a lawyer, he has moved to the courts to secure some of the biggest public-interest rulings in Kenyan history, taking on government agencies, ministries and powerful officials alike.

Omtatah has been confirmed as the Senator-elect for Busia County. He was running on a National Reconstruction Alliance (NRA) ticket with the party affiliated to the Azimio la Umoja coalition.

Omtatah garnered 171,681 votes to beat several candidates including ODM’s Hillary Itela and UDA’s Amoo Oude. He took to social media to thank the people for his victory even as he promised to get down to work.

“Thank you Busia. I am deeply humbled by your immense support and overwhelming show of confidence. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but I am ready and excited to work for you. Thank you for this tremendous honor,” Omtatah wrote.

He has famously challenged the State on various matters, demanding adherence to the 2010 Constitution. In March 2022, for instance, he filed a case seeking to have persons with integrity issues blocked from vying in the 2022 General Elections.

Omtatah decried the fact that several individuals adversely mentioned in cases of theft of public funds were vying for key political seats.

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“..including the so-called COVID-19 billionaires are lining up to vie at the 9th August 2022 general elections for various positions at the county and national levels of government,” court documents read in part.

Omtatah, a staunch Catholic, has been described by some as Kenya’s most litigious man. He has previously explained that he is on a mission to be a voice for Kenya’s poor.

He attended St Peter’s Seminary in Mukumu and St Augustine Seminary, Mabanga, Bungoma before an injury sustained during a football match forced him to abandon his priesthood dream.

He eventually found his way to Kenya Polytechnic for a diploma course in Mechanical and Automobile engineering. Omtatah later began devoting his time and resources to litigate against various injustices.