Former Gor Mahia official narrates how she was poisoned during campaign period

©Anima 'Ferrari' Oketch Facebook.

FOOTBALL: Former Gor Mahia official narrates how she was poisoned during campaign period

Joel Omotto 12:00 - 29.06.2023

Ferrari, a she is popularly known, has revealed how she narrowly escaped death while on a vote-hunting mission

Former Gor Mahia Deputy Secretary General Anima Oketch, popularly known as Ferrari, has narrated how she escaped death after being poisoned during the campaign period 10 years ago.

Ferrari was among former K’Ogalo Divas (Gor Mahia women’s fans) who had thrown their hats in the ring for the January 19, 2014 elections and there was an intense battle as she sought to wrestle the seat from then incumbent Roselinder Achieng.

Oketch says during one of her campaign stops in 2013, she went to have lunch at a Nairobi joint alongside a friend who was helping her with the vote-hunting mission and that is when the worst happened.

“The year bado ni 2013. Campaigns za Gor zimeshika. Ferrari omoko mach, campaign director Kerubo Mayaka amesema twende nalo tukatafute votes (The year is 2013 and Gor Mahia campaigns are in top gear, Ferrari on fire, campaign director Kerubo Mayaka said let’s go and look for votes),” she said via Facebook post.

“Tumefika base ingine nyuma ya Gikomba. Kumbe it's lunch time tukawekewa chakula (We get to a place behind Gikomba, it’s lunchtime and food is served).

“Mimi nikasema aaah hiyo food staki, campaign manager akasema if we don't eat jo piny watasema tuko na maringo (lakini maringo tulikuwa nayo) she decided to eat my potion ndio tupate kura. (I said I won’t eat but my campaign manager insisted we must eat, otherwise people will say we have pride. She decided to eat my potion to appease would-be voters).

“Eeeeeh semeni potion yangu kumbe ilikuwa na poison. Mtoto wa mama Krara akapatikana. Yaaaani explaining to mama Krara what happened was so hard for me eh. She was in hospital for almost two weeks. (Unbeknown to us, my portion had poison. My campaign manager was in hospital for almost two weeks and I had a hard time explaining to her mother what happened).”

In the hotly-contested elections, Ferrari managed 719 votes to beat Achieng, who garnered 505 votes, with Ambrose Rachier retaining the chairman’s seat as Chris Omondi got elected Secretary General.

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