Democratic inheritance: Politicians who won their father's seats directly after they died in office

The victory of Boyd Were in the recent Kasipul by-election marks the latest chapter in a long-standing tradition within Kenyan politics: sons succeeding their fathers in the same constituency.

Boyd, who secured the seat following the assassination of his father, Charles Ong'ondo Were, on April 30, 2025, joins a distinct club of leaders who inherited their fathers’ political mantles immediately following a death.

While the concept of ‘democratic inheritance’ often sparks debate, the electorate has frequently ratified these successions at the ballot box.

From the dusty roads of Hamisi to the semi-arid Makueni plains, here are the prominent Kenyan politicians who successfully claimed their fathers' parliamentary seats.

Perhaps the most famous beneficiary of this trend is Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.

His entry into politics was precipitated by the death of his father, the influential Minister for Local Government Moses Mudavadi, in 1989.

Following the senior Mudavadi’s death, a 28-year-old Musalia was plucked from the corporate world to contest the Sabatia seat.

He faced no opposition, winning the by-election unopposed.

This victory launched a career that saw him become the youngest cabinet minister at the time, eventually rising to Vice President and his current role in the executive.

He held the Sabatia seat uninterrupted until 2002.

When the doyen of opposition politics, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, died in January 1994, he left a void in both national politics and his Bondo constituency.

While his younger son, the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga was already making waves in Lang'ata, it was the elder son, Oburu Oginga, who stepped in to fill the vacancy in Bondo.

Oburu won the subsequent by-election on a Ford-Kenya ticket, effectively retaining the family’s stronghold.

He served as the Member of Parliament for Bondo for nearly two decades, later serving in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and the Senate, proving that his initial election was more than just a sympathy vote.

Senator George Khaniri holds the record for being one of the youngest MPs ever elected in Kenya.

His political journey began following the death of his father, Nicodemus Khaniri, the MP for Hamisi, in 1996.

Still a student in the United States at the time, the junior Khaniri returned home and was thrust into the by-election race on a KANU ticket.

He won decisively, capturing the seat at just 24 years old.

Khaniri solidified his hold on Hamisi, serving multiple terms before transitioning to the Senate, where he represented Vihiga County.

Before George Khaniri, there was Vincent M’Maitsi.

He set an early precedent in Hamisi constituency following the death of his father, Samson M’Maitsi, in August 1988.

Vincent won the ensuing by-election, ensuring the seat remained within the family.

He served the remainder of the term and defended the seat in subsequent elections, maintaining the M’Maitsi political legacy in Western Kenya into the early 1990s.

The sudden death of the eloquent Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo on April 27, 2013, shocked the nation.

In the search for a successor, the Wiper party initially nominated his daughter, Kethi Kilonzo.

However, legal hurdles regarding her voter registration status barred her candidacy.

The party then turned to his son, Mutula Kilonzo Jr.

Despite being a political novice at the time, Junior won the July 2013 by-election with an overwhelming Sh163,232 votes, comprising 91% of the total ballots cast.

He seamlessly stepped into his father’s shoes, becoming a vocal legislator and later succeeding in his bid for the Makueni Governorship.