Okiya Omtatah made a name for himself as a litigious activist before throwing his hat into politics. Senator Okiya Omtatah has two affordable vehicles. He was voted as the Busia county senator, but he never allowed the trappings of power get into his head. Okiya Omtatah’s Nissan Wingroad The politician said he did not upgrade his official vehicle to drive the point home. While most of his colleagues went for the Toyota Land Cruiser, Omtatah retained his Mazda Demio. The Demio’s low fuel consumption makes it a favourite for online taxi drivers. The average economy rate is 5.8 litres/100km. Some Demios shut off the engines rather than leaving them running randomly when the vehicle is stopped- the i-stop system helps decrease emissions. The 2016 model costs around 1 million, while the 2012 model cost around KSh 500,000. Okiya Omtatah’s Nissan Wingroad The senator’s other vehicle unintentionally came to the fore after getting involved in an accident while heading to Busia. The senator said a fuel tanker lost control and rammed into his car before landing in a ditch. However, Omtatah’s vehicle was the centre of attention. The senator was using a Nissan Wingroad at the time of the accident. The car, also known as the Nissan AD, is one of the cheapest in the Kenyan market and goes for as low as KSh 600,000. The Wingroad features two engines, 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol and 1.8-litre 4-cylinder petrol, generating 105 and 126 horsepower, respectively. The higher capacity engine returns a fuel economy of up to 14 kilometres to the litre, while the smaller engine is estimated to yield 17.2 kilometres to the litre. The 2014 model costs as low as 600,000, while the 2017 model fetches up to KSh 1.5 million. Why does Okiya Omtatah remain grounded In a previous interview with Spice FM, Omtatah said he had not changed his lifestyle despite his newfound status. “The name ‘mheshimiwa’ does not belong to me. It belongs to those who call. You don’t need a name for yourself. It is the people who need a name for you. So whichever way they define you, that is up to them. It doesn’t change who I am,” he said.
by William Osoro