News Analysis By a special Correspondent.
The last week’s Appeal court disqualification of the firmer Migori governor Zachary Okoth Obado was an act of blessing in disguise for the Oranga party {ODM}, which is the party of choice in the mineral rich County whose relationship with the governor is known to have gone sour ever since his first day in the office.
Immediately after the court’s judgment delivered in crowded court room of Kisumu, Obado rent his anger at the ODM by way of arrogantly launching scathing criticism of the party and its leader Raila Odinga while reiterating his decision to work with the Jubilee government.
Governor Obando who personally attended the court and brought a large number of supporters all the way from Migori to Kisumu in four hired vehicles, which included school buses and sleek cars immediately made it known that he would be lodging an appeal in the Supreme court of Kenya to challenge the decision.
Also present in Kisumu was the petitioner Prof Edward Akong’o Oyugi and his running-mate in the March 4, 2014 election Mrs Anne Omodho Anyanga, the firebrand who is the wife of the Nyatike MP Edick Omondi Anyanga who expressed her satisfaction with the judgment by saying that justice has been Observers of Migori politics and political pundits were quick in saying that the huge crowd of people transported to Kisumu from Migori to cheer him up was an act of the governor’s arrogance and a display of his financial mightiness which might boomerang and work against him should his much touted appeal fail in the Supreme court and a fresh by-election ordered to be held.
There was a brief commotion outside the court when a group of Prof. Oyugi’s supporters made a spirited attempt to block governor Obando from entering his official vehicle, arguing that since he was no longer the governor he was not supposed to used the County vehicle. However, Obado supporters retaliated and protected him from being molested. Police had to intervene and restored orders before the two groups dispersed.
Obado had won the Migori governor’s seat on the ticket of the little known People’s democratic Party {PDP}, which is led by the former South Mugirango MP Omingo Magara after loosing to Prof Oyugi in the {ODM} flawed primary nomination. Th PDP was one of the many amalgamated political parties allied to the CORD’s coalition But the Mgara’s party since bolted out of the CORD coalition and joined the jubilee. This latest move has no exposed Obado to be at the mercy o the ODM and now own
Anothger credible and important politician has also gone sour following reports that he is in the process of launching his own political party to rival the ODM in Luo-Nyanza and the wide spread allegations tha he was dividing the Luos of South Nyanza from their cousins in Central Nyanza for selfish interests.
The dismissal of Obado by the appeals Court has created a new political dimension in Migori County politics. It could see many political big guns joining the race for the vacant governor’s seat in the event of the fresh elections are called by the ICEB. On March 4, 2013 election, Obado had banked on his strategy to win over the M candidate the support and backing o the minority voters in two Neighboring Kuria districts and had enlisted the support and the backing of a Kuria man from Kihancha as his running mate and eventually made him the Deputy governor. This came at a tie when members’ o the marginalized Kuria minority community had problems with the ODM over its direct nomination of the former Kuria MP Dr. Machage to contest trhe Migori Senate seat at the chagrin of both Kurias and Luo voters.
Among the big guns whose names are being floated by the electorate In Migori as the possible succors of governor Obado in included that of the former cabinet Minister George Ochilo Ayacko, who was one time two times the Rongo MP and the former Mathare MP Gilbert Ochieng’ Mbeo who had also served as the Kenya’s representatives to the East African legislative Assembly [EALA} and Eng. Mark Nyamita.
Ayacko and Mbeo, which might work against Obado is his reported worsened relationship with the elected Migori MPs. He is said to be at loggerheads with the MPs over allegation of poor governance and favoritism and nepotism other contentious issues in the terms of recruitment of the County workers. The former governor, as the allegations goes, Obadon has employed his own brother, sister-in-law and brother-in-law in the County services at the expense off other job seekers. There are also unconfirmed claims and allegations that for one to be short listed for an interview for employment one must cough out a cool Kshs 300,000
Other shocking allegations included the rumors that the businessmen and traders who submitted their tenders to be contracted by the County on its development project agreeing required to dish out cash money as part of “kick-backs”.
The on-going construction work for at the Awendo sub-district hospital and the MTC In Migori were described as the ”milk cow”.
THE OTHER Migori MPs included Mohmed Juneet [Suna East], Joseph Ndiege n[SunaWest}, Eng Kobado {Uriri}, Jared Kopiyo {Awendo} Edick Omondi Anyanga {Nyatike} and Dalmas Otieno who is being counted as having gone out of ODM. Kopiyo who is also an PDP MP is reported to be allied to the governor. In Kanyamkago where Obado comes,thereis sharp division between the Jokawere sub-clan with his own JokaAtieno and the Maragolis and the Luhyias.The area current MP Eng. Kobado is a member of the Jokawere sub-clan.
For Obado to make it back to his plum governorship job would be an up-hill task and a pipe dream, because he has any questions to answer from the electorate.
Ends