Category Archives: Elections

Kenya: US president Obama’s half-Kenyan brother is to contest for the position of Siaya County governor

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PRESIDENT BARRACK OBAMA’S ELDER BROTHER HAS JOINED THE ELECTION RACE FOR THE SIAYA COUNTY GOVERNOR IN DIFFERENT PARTY AND NOT RAILA ODINGA’S ODM

Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.

INFORMATION emerging from Siaya town, says that the US President Barack Obama half-brother Malik Abong’o Obama is contemplating running for the governor’s election in Siaya County, but on a TNA’s ticket and not as expected to be on Raila Odinga’s ODM party ticket.

This is so despite of the perceived closeness between the Prime Minister of Kenya and the Obama family.

TNA is the party which Raila Odinga’s arch-rival in the Kenya’s presidential race Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta intend to use in his presidential ambition. It has no following in Siaya County and are perceived to be the stronghold of Raila Odinga’s ODM and Obama candidature on a TNA ticket is likely to complicate and even worsen the cordial and warm relations between Raila Odinga and the Obama family.

The report from various sources in Siaya say Malik Obama is among those who are listed as potential TNA’s candidate to contest the lucrative and powerful Siaya County governor seat.

However, Malik Abong’yesterday confirmed that he is in the race, but insisted that he would be running for the post as an independent candidate, but not Uhuru Kenyatta’s party ticket.

“I have never registered myself as a member of TNA nor do I belong to any political party, you are the one now informing me that my name is there, Malik Abong’o told an interviewer.

Malik Obama had made an application to run for the election on a TNA ticket, but his application is still under scrutiny and consideration, a Nairobi publication, the STAR quote senior official of the TNA as saying.

Mali claimed he does not know who who had registered him with TNA, adding that he had many friends everywhere who might have enlisted him .

He added, “ Obviouly I am Obama and people may tend to use my name for their own selfish reason.He told the interviewer. “you can check for my name with the Interim Election Board of Kenya [IEBC] which show that I have never registered in any political party. I also wrote to the registrar’s office saying I a m an independent person,’ he added.

Malik Abongo’ Obama the first born of the late Barrack Hussein Obama was born In 1958 in the Kenya . He studied at the University of Nairobi and graduated with an accountancy degree.

The controversial Malik Obama met his half-brother President Barrack Obama for the first time in 1985 when he flew fro Chicago to Washington DC to see him. The two were best men during each other’s wedding.

He has since then taken more wives and become a polygamous in according to the Muslim belief and doctrine.

He is a frequent visitor to the UD, but runs a small electronic shop at Nyang’oma Trading Cent and also the famous Barrack Obama Guest House I an area adjacent to the same centre on whose roof he has defiantly hoisted the two national flags of Kenya and the US despite the vehement opposition by the local provincial administration and police authorities., which is located next to the Kogelo home of the Obamas.

During the election campaign of president Obama’s second tenure of office, Malik was the principal spokesman of the extended Obama family in Kenya. He said he is willing to work with any other parties if shares its visions, ideals and agenda.

Asked if TNA was such an ideal party, Malik Obama said,” it will depend on the TNA vision for the Country and Siaya County.

He went on,’ I am a public figure and I decide to join any party, I will do so in daylight and invite everyone to witness,”’he said.

None of the TNA top national officials could be reached to confirm or deny that Malik Obama had made an application to contest the Siaya governor position on their party ticket.

But political pundits in Siaya were quick in pointing out that, Malik Abong’o Obama stand very little chance of clinching the pot unless a miracle work

Ends

KENYA: SUBA LEADERS IN BOYCOTT OF RAILA ODINGA’S FUNCTION AT THE MAKE-SHIFT NEWLY ESTABLISHED HOME OF MILLIE ODHIAMBO IN LAMBWE VALLEY.

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Writes Arrum-Tidi Ogonglo in Mbita Town.

A cross section of leaders in Suba region of Homa-Bay County on Monday stayed away from a function which was attended by the Prime Minister Raila Odinga at the make-shift newly established home of the nominated MP Millie Odhiambo in Lambwe Valley .

An account by an eye witness indicated that even the area MP Gerald Otieno Kajwang’ was nowhere to be seen at the function despite of the fat that the Prime Minister was visiting his constituency.

Instead Kajwang’and other local dignitaries had assembled at Magunga district headquarters in Gwassi where they were all waiting to received the PM. Also nowhere to be seen at the function were members of the powerful Suba Council of Elders and Luo Council of Elders whose vice chairman Ex-Senior Chief Omolo-Anditi hails from Mbita constituency.

The nominated MP Millie Odhiambo’s home is in Rusinga Island, but she is married to a Zimbabwean man. And for the purpose of winning the Mbita parliamentary seat during the impending general election she had decided to establish a home within the localty for the purpose of attracting votes.

According to Luo tradition and culture a woman who is married into another community outside her home region is called “Migogo” therefore a woman who is classified as ‘Migogo” has no right to come back to her home of origin and claim political leadership once she is already married into another community. She and her siblings are considered as outsiders and foreigners

For such a woman to come back home and demand the right to contest the election for political leadership is viewed as an insult and total disrespect to her people, particularly her cousins in Waware sub-clan in Rusinga Island Therefore Milie Odhiambo has a daunting task to convince the voters in Mbita to vote for her parliamentary bid. This would be an up-hill task, hence the reason for her hurriedly invitation to Raila Odinga into her make-shift home.

The idea of her building a new home in Lambwe Valley within Mbita constituency so as to dupe the electorate did not go down well with the local politicians who are competing with her for the same seat. He is being treated as foreigners with many claims that even in Zimbabwe there is a parliament there, and that the place where she should go and contest for a parliamentary the election there. It is Zimbabwe where she belongs to and not Mibita, said a civic leader in Mbita town.

Raila flew to Lambwe on Monday morning, and according to some account given by sources presence at the venue, the Prime Minister was accompanied by his wife Mrs Ida Odinga, but she is said to have refused to disembark and remained inside the chopper.

After a brief stop-over the PM resumed his flight to Magunga in Gwassi where he was given n arousing welcome by all the Sub region leaders. But Raila arrived there when the word had already reached the local Suba leader’s of the refusal of his wife Mrs Ida Odinga refusal to into a make-shift home of Millie Odhiambo.

A number of the elders interviewed heaped a lot of praise to Mrs Ida Odinga saying that by the Prime Minister visiting the make-shift home of the nomination MP he had stooped low and that in according to the norms, tradition and cultural virtues of the Luos the Prime Minister should have only gone thereto open a new house and not to grace the empty ground for political mileage.

Ms Odhiambo earned an accusation of misusing Raila to intimidate and bull-dose her opponents in the Mbita contest.

Such a make-shift home is called “Ligala” in the Luo vernacular and it is not a place worth a visit by a person of Raila Odinga caliber and status.

Milllie Odhiambo is a staunch supporter of the Prime Minister, but the visit to her still a bush site where she intended to put up her permanent home in the future world not augur well with the four other ODM members who are locked up in the stiffest election battle with Millie Odhiambo.

The ODM boss who has repeatedly said that this time around nobody would enjoy his political patronage during the forthcoming general election an each and every aspirant must get prepared to sort out his or her problems with the voters is viewed as having gone to Lambwe to offer the biased support toms Odhiambo. In the opposite Millie Odhiambo might have have hatched an idea of inviting the Prime Minister into the site of her still bush home for the purpose of intimidating her opponents in the Mbita seat contest.

The issue is likely to impact negatively and adversely during her election campaign because her rivals have said they will use the visit as an attempt to intimidate and scare them away that she is too powerful and invisible.

“Whoever had invited the Prime Minister to that function had the ulterior motive to reduce his status.’,said one Suba elder who scathingly criticized the PM’s handlers for the incident.

Ends

Kenya: Atwoli appeals for peaceful polls

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BY JEFF OTIENO.

Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli has appealed to all Presidential aspirants to embrace duologue and tolerance as the General Elections approaches the corner.

He applauded the prevailing gestures of negotiations or alliances bid by leaders across the political divide but further urged that it should be all inclusive.

“In order for the country to remain peaceful and united we should engage each other positively and not appear to be side lining other leaders or else we risk going back to the previous 2007 election scenario”, he said.

Atwoli was speaking to the press when he went to register as a voter in his rural home at Ebukwala pri School Kwishero constituency. He urged voters to register in large numbers a head of march 4th elections.

Atwoli further lauded President Mwai Kibaki statesmanship and development track record during his tenure and urged his would be successor to follow suit.

On the recent formation of a rival trade union-Pesatu to clip the wings of Cotu Atwoli said that the scheme which was hatched by two corrupt government ministers he declined to mention is doomed to fail. He said that some two union officials names with held were the ministers side kicks and one of them was recently bought a house worth staggering millions in the leafy suburbs of Nairobi in obvious circumstances.

ENDS

Kenya: I Endorse Dr Barack Abonyo For Kisumu Governor

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From: Joram Ragem

Correct Video Attached Here. Watch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCUi-QMoC3A

JOKISUMO,

Anyone who by now has not decide to run for Governor is a Johnny-come-lately and probably bad for our County. Those who have declared their interest have already failed to impress. It is time to make up your mind.

Mine is made up.

Dr Barack Abonyo is the best we have. I have tried and tested him. He has passed. He understands to commoner better cause he was born poor and was almost a school drop-out. Then we gave him scholarship which saw him excel all the way to USA where he not only attained with distinction, the highest level of education, but was kind enough to facilitate for FAMU to present Agwambo’s first honorary PhD.

Truth be told. Now others are following in his footsteps because he is already leading, can’t you see? It is said that you send your children to get education so they can come back and effect positive change in the living condition of the environment they grew up in. Who is better than Dr Barack Abonyo.

My 10th great grandfather Ragem tells me that we should let Barack rock Kisumu lest something big befall our Kisumu City and our people. Notwithstanding all their shortcomings, BABONYO, as I fondly call him is my final choice. There! I have done my part.

BABONYO biro, and it’s your turn to say YES HE CAN. BABONYO biro, Yawneuru yo!

KENYA: RAILA IN DILEMMA AS KELENJIN MPS DITCH HIM

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From: Ouko joachim omolo
Voices of Justice for Peace
Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2012

Home Affairs Assistant minister and Bomet Member of Parliament Beatrice Kones is no longer one of the closes allies of Prime Minister Raila Odinga in Rift Valley. She has ditched the Orange Democrtatic Movement (ODM) for Eldoret North MP William Ruto’s United Republican Party (URP).

Remarks by Ruto while receiving Kones on Wednesday that she had joined the winning team could be interpreted that for the Kalenjin MPs in Rift Valley to be re-elected they must ditch Raila and his party. According to Ruto URP is the party to watch and (Ms) Kones is the last born in terms of joining us. Anyone who is not in URP is not on the winning team”.

Last month Sotik MP Joyce Laboso also ditched ODM expressing her dissatisfaction with the party. Dr Laboso, who was a key member of ODM Reloaded Team, said she was joining the Eldoret North William Ruto’s party United Republican Party (URP) saying ODM is no longer a national party and its leadership is questionable.

Politics she said is a matter of mind games; saying one thing when it suits you and denying it when it doesn’t. It’s however quite bad when the evidence is dropped right in front of you that you are lying.

The fact that Ruto has somewhat managed to convince his Kalenjin supporters that Riala is the one who has taken him to The Hague’, it means Raila is to expect other Kalenjin MPs to ditch him.

Efforts by Raila to convince Ruto to come back to ODM have been fruitless according to media reports. His reported secret meeting with Ruto on Tuesday night has been the main story few weeks ago.

The two are reportedly met at the home of businessman Joshua Kulei who is said to be leading efforts to re-unite the two, even though both Raila and Ruto have not admitted that they indeed met, with Ruto actually denying it.

It was reported that Raila offered Ruto the VP position and half the cabinet positions. Ruto is said to have refused to promise any support before the election, insisting that any deal had to be done after the first round of voting. He however promised to consider Raila’s offer.

This is the same Joshua Kulei who together with Ruto were in April 2011 acquitted of defrauding the Kenya Pipeline Company out of Sh272 million in a land purchase deal. The state claimed that Ruto fraudulently obtained Sh96 million from the KPC in 2001 claiming that he was in a position to sell 1.745 hectares of land belonging to the Ministry of Natural Resources situated in Ngong Forest.

Ruto is competing for a presidential ticket with wealthy Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, whose riches were recently estimated by Forbes at $500 million (Sh45 billion).

According to a weekly paper, truth newspaper, Raila drove himself to the venue in a pajama. It further says that the prime minister was accompanied by only one of his bodyguards and his car had no flag.

Although Ruto whose Amaco Insurance is one of Kenya’s most popular insurance companies is determined to run for President, Kofi Annan, the African Union envoy who mediated the 2008 peace deal, if an ICC suspect assumes the presidency in the next election, the consequences for Kenya could be disastrous politically and economically.

They argue that Kenya could be labelled a pariah state by the international community. This will mean that donors will withdraw their moral and financial support to Kenya. Donor-funded long- and medium-term plans and projects, such as Vision 2030, will be shelved. Poverty levels will rise. Economic growth rates will decline. Kenya will not attain middle income status by 2030.

Western nations may impose a trade embargo on Kenya. The African Union, which backed the peace process, may press upon its members to impose sanctions on Kenya. Kenya’s coveted membership in the East African Community might also be threatened.

Domestic revenues may see Kenya through, but without trading partners, revenue from exports will fall, leading to further hardships. Just ask the Cubans what the 50-year US trade embargo has done to their economy and you will see why this scenario is not desirable.

The United Nations may pull out of Kenya and set up base in a neighbouring country, thereby severely affecting the local economy. Revenue gained from UN conferences, contracts and projects will disappear. If the UN leaves, Kenya will lose millions of dollars that pass through the country’s banks. Nairobi’s housing and retail markets that cater for UN staff will collapse.

Like Zimbabweans under Robert Mugabe, Kenyans will start seeking refuge and jobs in neighbouring countries. Kenya will be viewed as a failed state like Somalia, generating the large numbers of refugees and IDPs.

Western countries will start to impose harsher travel restrictions on Kenyans. Middle and upper class Kenyans who can afford to travel and send their children abroad for further studies may be particularly affected.

If Uhuru and Ruto do not appear at their own trials, they will not be able to represent Kenya at international forums. Their travel will be restricted to countries that promise not to hand them over to the ICC.

They, in turn, may decide to follow the path of isolationism by breaking all international agreements that Kenya is signatory to. If Ruto and Uhuru attend their trials, and even if they are found innocent, they will have to spend a considerable amount of their time at The Hague.

Kenya will suffer from an absentee leadership. Anarchy might ensue. Regional warlords may take advantage of the situation and break up the country into fiefdoms. Jealous neighbours may also use the leadership vacuum to gain economic and political supremacy in the region.

If found guilty, Uhuru and Ruto will face a Nixonian moment: resign or be impeached by the National Assembly,” says Tom Maliti of the ICC Kenya Monitor blog. “At the ICC level, the men will go into detention as the court searches for a country to hold them in prison for the duration of whatever sentence is handed down.”

Although in the last weeks Kosgey has initiated a grassroots campaign to woe the Kalenjin community back to ODM to support Raila’s presidential bid, reportedly spoken personally to the Kalenjin MPs and assured them of ODM tickets if they returned to back Raila, the fact that Kalenjins view Kosgey as having been favoured by Raila as ICC case is concerned makes his campaign impossible to convince Kalenjins.

There is already rift between Road Minister Franklin Bett and Kosgey over running mate. While Raila would prefer Kosgey to be his running mate Bett insists that this must be done through ODM nomination and not direct. If Raila maintains that it is through direct nomination then the next MP to ditch him is Bett.

According to a credible source close, Bett has been pressurised by his constituents to join Ruto’s bandwagon or be shelved in March 4th general election. The source said, Bett who is also the Bureti MP has tried to market ODM party in South Rift but he has met stiff resistance from William Ruto’s supporters who have remained defiant on accepting Prime Minister Raila Odinga‘s Presidential quest.

ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo had prepared charges of crimes against humanity against Kosgey but in January the Pre-Trial Chamber declined to confirm the charges.

Ruto on the other hand is having a big problem with his URP party. He has been accused of favouring certain politicians even though he insists that there will be fair competition inside the URP.

Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo is among the MPs who have expressed his frustrations with the URP. Ruto’s allies from Kipsigis community led by Charles Keter and Julius Kones accused him of using Chepalangu MP Isaac Ruto to fight them politically.

Another divisive issue within URP where MPs was Ruto’s choice of Environment minister Chirau Mwakwere as his vice-presidential running mate 2013. “Ruto never consulted anyone on this issue. He appears to be doing the same things he complained about when he told us to quit ODM. That is why we see no problem in dealing with Raila again, or any other party”, said one MP.

The URP leaders are also under pressure from sections of the Kalenjin community to chart their own political course and to avoid the G7 proposal for a single presidenital candidate if it is not Ruto.

A private opinion poll carried out by professionals from Rift Valley revealed that most Kalenjin MPs including those allied to Ruto will not be re-elected because they have lost popularity.

Except for Ruto himself and Belgut MP Charles Keter, all the other MPs scored less than 50 percent in the opinion poll. They were mostly accused of abandoning their constituencies or mismanaging CDF funds.

According to Waki report, William Ruto planned incitement, and financing the violence- In August 2007 he held a meeting with the other senior ODM leaders in Kipkelion near Kericho including former Sotik MP the late Lorna Labodo, the late Kipkalia K. Kones (Bomet), Kiprono L. J. Magerer (Kipkelion), and Franklin Bett (Bureti) where the leaders resolved to carry out mass evictions of non-Kalenjins from ‘their’ Rift Valley areas, particularly the Kikuyu and Abagusii.

Kalenjin MPs who have stuck with ODM despite the Ruto-led wave rebellion in the region include Ministers Henry Kosgey (Industrialisation), Margaret Kamar (Higher Education), Sally Kosgey (Agriculture), and Magerer Lang’at (Energy).

The ODM bagged 33 parliamentary seats in the Rift Valley most of them having come from the two most populous sub-clans, namely, the Kipsigis and Nandis followed by Tugen Keiyo and Marakwet.

Given that the Nandis comes the second after the Kipsigis Raila has no option but to stick with Nandi MPs. This is the community that delivered four seats in Nandi South and North namely Aldai, Emgwen, Mosop, and Tinderet.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
People for Peace in Africa
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com

Peaceful world is the greatest heritage That this generation can give to the generations To come – All of us have a role.

KENYA: THE KENYATTA-RUTO OF POLITICAL ALLIANCE IS HEADED FOR THE DOLDRUMS AHEAD OF THE SIGNING OF THE URP-TNA PACT FOLLOWING MOUNTING OPPOSITION, THE KALENJINS

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News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo in Kericho Town.

The much highlighted political alliance between the Deputy Prime Minster Uhuru Kenyatta’s TNA and the William Ruto led United Republican Party {URP} whose main agenda and objective is how to block the Prime Minister Raila Odinga from succeeding President Mwai Kibaki as the next president of the Republic of Kenya is doomed to fail.

Judging from the reactions of the people on the ground, this tribally-oriented plan is heading to nowhere. The pact is viewed as mischievous and lacked the political goodwill of the people it purport to represent. The proposed arrangement is viewed by the bulks of the Kalenjin community as a political sellout.

The proposed alliance lacked the blessing and political goodwill of the entire Kalenjin community and it is viewed in the context of selfish interest serving and fertile imagination of the Eldoret North MP William Ruto.

The common popular saying making the round in this rich tea growing region covering Kericho and Bomet Counties is that Ruto is just about to mortgage the Kalenjin community for his own power bargain and selfish serving interest without having any tangible agenda for the future well being of the community.

And in the North Rift in Ruto’s home turf a group numbering hundreds of unemployed youth have formed a lobby group calling itself “Achicha” loosely, meaning “we refuse” in simplest English translating to mean “Big No” told William Ruto that his political alliance with Kenyatta’s TNA party has no blessing and consent of the entire Kalenjin community.

In this context the ACHICHA group which staged anti TNA-URP demonstration in Eldoret town wants the pact re-negotiated afresh with the participation of the entire population,and not by a few individuals locking themselves inside posh hotels in Nairobi and then coming out with such unworkable aragroup blamed the Eldoret North MP for being lone ranger and for not consulting widely before entering into amorphous alliances, which could turn out to be disastrous to the future Kalenjin people in this country.

And while addressing well attended ODM Mashinani campaign in Bomet town at the weekend, The former legislator told Ruto that since Raila Odinga has made it clear that he intend to rule for one term only, it would then be much easier for Ruto to get elected the president in 2017.

The former legislator accused Ruto using the Kalenjin while in actual sense, he is only pursuing his own personal agenda by blackmailing the community. “The truth is that Ruto is not fighting for the community interest but his personal interests because he is not consistent with what he says in his uncoordinated public pronouncement ”One day he saying that he wanted to be Kenyatta’s running-mate, the next day he is saying he is on the presidential race to the finish.”

“Kalenjin community risk being locked out of the next government. It will be suicidal if we the Kalenjin did not change our political game as we will be out of the next government, and this will take the community another five yeas in the cold.” Kimeto.

The most common and popular feeling and beliefs in the South Rift part of the Rift Valley is that the formation of the mushrooming political alliances by the various tribal groups would cause a lot of problems to the peace loving and law-abiding Kenyans, therefore something must be done with the uttermost urgency to avert such farmhouse alliances.

A number of political personalities have also scathingly criticized the Home Affairs Assistant Minister Beatrice ones who on Wednesday ditched the ODM and run to William Ruto’s URP, saying those happily abandoning ODM will live to regret when they get to nowhere.

Kones’ action in decamping from the ODM did not please many people here in Kericho and people were seen discussing the matter in low tone inside coffee shops, restaurants.

Kones, whose original home is in Sigowet constituency in lower Belgut near Sondu Market, they said, had no good reason to ditch the ODM and her departure reasons were not very much convincing. ”May be some of the party hoppers are heavily indebted and wanted the easiest way out of sorting out matters with their creditors because of unlimited campaign resources said to be in abundance in the TNAA and URP.

Political pundits were quick in pointing out that Mrs Kones will not retain her Bomet seat no matter how much resources the IRP may put at her disposal.

In the by-election that followed the accidental death of her husband populist Kipsigis political kingpin Donald Kipkemoi Kipkalya Kones had won the seat against Nick Salatt of KANU due to the ODM euphoria. Kones is not very strong on the ground and such she is just running away under the pretext of ditching ODM and yet she knew it pretty well, that the chance of retaining the seat is very slim

Majority of many people in this region wanted to join the UDM a party, which is headed by the former deputy SGS Lt.Gen {rtd} John Arap Koech who hails from Ainamoi in Kericho County, but they blamed the party for failed to establish its grass root structure such as offices in key towns and urban centers in the region.

Ends

For the ODM to win the next election it must weed out political thuggery and excessive use of hired goons

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

WITHIN the brief spell of two months, there have been serious incidents involving violent disruption of public gatherings either at funeral homes or political rallies inside Luo-Nyanza.

This is the region where the ODM arguably has the largest following and support. Of course there are no any other competing political parties, which are rivaling the ODM in this region to warrant such magnitude of violence

However, all these incidents involving breach of peace and tranquility are all pointing to the direction of the shape of things to come during the impending general election schedule for March 4, 2013.

What happened at Homa-Bay Town last weekend was the most shameful act of lawlessness and political thuggery, which the ODM leadership must urgently brainstorm together and make the concerted effort to weed out such unbecoming behaviors of its leaders at branches levels, supporters and MPs included before the situation got out of hands or before precious lives are lost.

The Homa-Bay rally last Sunday was called for the purpose of “Mashinani Campaign” for the popularization of party leader Raila Odinga’s presidential bid in the next year. Presidential election slated for Mach 4,2013.

A similar meeting was held in Kisumu City last Saturday at a field next to the ODM offices, located next t0 Tuskies Supermarket It ended peacefully and all the delegates from the entire Kisumu County who attended the meeting dispersed and went home peacefully.

Instead of campaigning to popularizing the Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the Home-Bay rally was turned into the battle ground in which crude weapons such as knives were used causing bodily injuries to score of unspecified numbers of people who went home while nursing their wounds.

Within a brief spell of time and within the last two months, there have been several incidents in which VIP were forced to fled the venue of public functions either funeral gatherings or political rallies as the result of skirmishes and disruptions caused by hired political goons.

These incidence could be chronicled as follows; A man was spotted flushing a sharpened machete [panga] at a political campaign addressed by the Finance Assistant Minister Dr.Oburu Oginga in Siaya town

The Ministers body guards and supporters wrestled the man to the ground disarmed him .He was arrested and taken into police custody. But within minutes another gang of nine drunken goons emerged and made an abortive attempt to storm the police station with the aims of freeing their friend who had been taken into custody there causing anther commotion in which the police applied full force and overcome the youth who were numbering nine and took them into custody

At Kolwa East Ward within Kisumu Muncipality, the ODM MP for Kisumu Town East Shakeel Ahmed Shabbir caused another commotion at funeral church service, The MP’s security details drew their guns while the other mourners were struggling with the MP and trying to force back to his car.

During the commotion the gun rang and one youth was hit in the leg by a stray bullet. It was not clear as to whether the bullet had been fired by one of the MP’s armed security guards or the bullet went off accidentally during the commotion. The bullet which was lodged in the victim body or two days was later remove at the New Nyanza General Hospital following a surgery operations carried out by Dr. Otieno Obondi

The MP has since fiercely denied that any shooting occurred as the result of the commotion caused by him, though several eye witnesses have confirmed the incident. So far n arrest has been made, though the doctor has kept the bullet which he had removed from the youth’s body in safe custody in case it is needed as an exhibit in court. All this are pointing out to the laxity and complacency on the part of the forces of law reinforcement in the region.

,In the same month the Education Assistant Minister Prof.Patrick Ayiecho Olueny, was forced out of a funeral home where other mourners also took to their heels and scampered in all directions for their dear lives.

The Minister who is also the MP for Muhoroni had gone to attend the burial of the brother of the chairman of Nyando County Council Samuel Onyango Ong’ou in Wang’aya Location within Kisumu County.This area falls under Muhoroni constituency.

The trouble stated after the triumphant arrival of the populist aspirant for Muhoroni James Onyango K’Oyoo who was accompanied by close to 300 youths almost bringing the burial ceremony to a standstill. The MP made futile attempt to calm the situation, but in vain and sensing the danger that the situation could get out of hand also fled the venue followed by his armed body guards amid hails of stones.

In all these incidences, nobody has so far appeared before any court of law to answer criminal charge of causing disturbances in a manner likely to cause the breach of peace. And all these are pointing at the laxity and complacency on the part of the forces of the la reinforcement operating in Nyanza region.

Back to the last Sunday ugly incident which took place at Homa-Bay town, the conveners of the rally stands blamed for poor organization and lack foresight in that they allowed the otherwise and become platform for the introduction of aspirants vying for the various elective positions with the County governance, parliament, Senatorial and governorship as well as civic County Wards

The party leaders in the Homa-County branch who were the joint convener of the meeting had allowed the “ODM Mashinani Campaign’ rally to be used by aspirant vying for the various elective positions as their platform deviating from the original agenda of the meeting, which was mainly and specifically to campaign for Raila Odinga presidential bid.

It also exposed a lot of weaknesses within the party leadership at the grass root structures. There are still many disputes involving the various grass root leadership which have remained unresolved for years. This is what caused the skirmishes at the VIP dais, and started exchanging fists blows.

The two constituencies of Kabondo-Kasipul and Kasipul send two school buses full of youths estimated to be numbering about 150,000 while five other constituencies posted eight delegates each.

The two school buses, one from Wang’apala High School In Kabondo and other from Nyang’iela secondary school I West Kasipul ferried the youths from Oyugis to Homa-Bay. Other had travelled in the CDF van and in a four-wheel drive second hand Pajero van owned by the area MP Joseph Oyugi Magwanga and machetes and other crude weapons. In some account of eye witnesses the group of youths who travelled from Oyugis town to Homa-Bay Town were heard singing war-mongering songs as the uses snaked through Rangwe, Rodi Kopany and to Homa-Bay Town.

And as if the commotion and skirmishes a Home-bay were not enough, the group drove back to Oyugis and immediately launched a full scale hunt for the people they perceived to mall cafeteria owned by one of the potential opponent hey were on a mission hunting do those opposed to the MP’s leadership for the owner of the cafeteria.

The general elections are still five months away, and if the ODM could allow political thuggery of this magnitude in its stronghold area where there is stiff opposition, then this could plunge the country into a distasteful condition of mayhem and anarchy.

There are several dangerous spots inside Luo-Nyanza and Rachuonyo South, particularly in the newly created constituency of Kabondo Kasipul and the older electoral area of Kasipul. Hundreds of goons are roaming menacingly in Oyugis town and its environs.

ODM need to crack its whip and ensure that those its leaders who are conducting the war-like political activities thereby endangering the lives of innocent citizens are banned and barred from contesting the election on its ticket.

Ends

USA, OH: Remove Secretary of State Jon Husted

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From: Garlin Gilchrist II, MoveOn.org Political Action

“Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted led a comprehensive assault on Ohioans’ voting rights in 2012. It’s time to remove him from office.”
http://pol.moveon.org/removehusted/?id=58179-21095459-ZuvR42x&t=1
Sign the Petition!
http://pol.moveon.org/removehusted/?id=58179-21095459-ZuvR42x&t=2

From: Garlin Gilchrist II, MoveOn.org Political Action

Dear Ohio MoveOn member,

Going into Election Day, I just couldn’t shake my fear that Republicans’ efforts would deny the right to vote to thousands of voters in Ohio. I never want to feel that way again—no voter should.

I felt this way because of Ohio Secretary of State John Husted, who cut early voting, complicated the registration process, and forced voters to wait for hours to cast ballots on November 6.1 Thankfully, Secretary Husted’s scheme didn’t work. We won Ohio.

But as of Friday, Secretary Husted is still fighting against counting every legitimate ballot cast.2 That’s why we’re launching a campaign to remove Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted from office right away. Ohio has a process to remove a statewide official from office—but that can only happen if state legislators hear a massive public outcry.

We’ve got to move fast and get this off the ground before Secretary Husted and his allies can duck out of public view to begin planning their next voter intimidation plan.

Will you sign this petition to remove Secretary of State John Husted from office? It reads:

“Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted led a comprehensive assault on Ohioans’ voting rights in 2012. It’s time to remove him from office.”

Yes, I’ll sign.
http://pol.moveon.org/removehusted/?id=58179-21095459-ZuvR42x&t=3

We beat Secretary Husted’s suppression efforts with a huge get-out-the-vote campaign, ads and billboards that broke through the confusion, supporting lawsuits by the ACLU, Obama for America and other allies, and other tactics to let people know when and where to vote early.

We can use those tactics, and more, to show Secretary Husted as the face of a vote-suppressing regime that we never want to see again. As an elected official, he can only do his job with the public’s permission. But if thousands of us quickly make it clear that we don’t want him in charge of our elections, we could force him out.

Voters must never worry about whether they’ll be able to vote, or their votes will be counted. Secretary Husted, who actively implemented schemes to undermine voters, is doing Ohio a disservice and and is unfit to serve.

Click here to sign the petition to remove Secretary Husted from office.
http://pol.moveon.org/removehusted/?id=58179-21095459-ZuvR42x&t=4

Thanks for all you do.

–Garlin, Mark, Stefanie, Ilya, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. “Federal judge rips Jon Husted for unconstitutional change to Ohio election rules,” The Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 13, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=284574&id=58179-21095459-ZuvR42x&t=5

2. “Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted wins federal appeals court round on provisional ballots,” The Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 16, 2012
http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2012/11/post_41.html

MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

Kenya: Awiti is endorsed by Karachuonyo elders to contest the powerful position of Homa-Bay County governor

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kendu-Bay Town.

The charismatic former Marie Stopie County director Cyprian Otieno Awiti was last weekend unanimously endorse to contest the lucrative and powerful elective position of the Homa-County governor by over 30 elders representing all major sub-clan in Karahuonyo constituency.

The meeting took place last Friday night inside one of the posh hotels in Kendu Bay town. In attendance were over 30 elders representing major sub-clans within Karachuonyo constituency, Rachuonyo North district within Homa-Bay County Major sub-clans represented at the meeting were Konyango, Kanyaluo, Kanyipir, Kakidhimu, Kanam, Kanjira, kanyipir, Kauma, Kotieno, Kogweno, Kogweno-Kobala, Kajiei, Kakwajuok, Karabondi,Wagwe, Kokoth ,Kanjiraand Kawadhigone.

The tentative meeting which started late in the night at about 10 P.M lasted for the whole night ending at about 5 A.M.

The elder said in a statement t the end of the meeting that their action was a good gesture and response in recognition of Awiti’s selfishlessness and massive contributions towards numerous socio-economic development projects within Karachuonyo and beyond.

Awiti is credited as one person who has been traversing the entire Luo-Nyanza while making hefty cash donations for the improvement of educational facilities, health centers and dispensaries, churches, women and youth groups.

Awiti hails from the Eastern part of Karachuonyo constituency in Kobuya sub-clan which is a member of the most populous and influential clan called Kadwet clan, whose members occupies the most part of Central and Eastern Karachuonyo constituency in Rachuonyo North district.

The elders said their action was in line with the famous oldage saying that goes that “Charity Begins at Home””If it was our own wish Awiti should have been elected to be the first governor of the Homa-Bay County under the new constitutional dispensations. He deserves the job taking into account his vast managerial experience and ability’ said Ker Nyandiko Ongadi.

A staunch member of the Roman Catholic church, which is enjoying the largest following in areas like Rangwe, Ndhiwa, Gwassi and parts of Western and Eastern Kasipul constituency in Rachuonyo South district. ,

Awiti who has worked closely with the church by promoting its activities and church sponsored projects would be difficult and near impossible and perhaps an up-hill task for anyone of those characters challenging for the seat to beat him at the polls.

Going by the arithmetic of voters registration in which the Kasipul-Kabondo had slightly over 65,000 registered voters while the neighboring Karachuonyo constituency had more than 55,000 registered voters, this indicated that the whole for Rachuonyo region had about 115 registered voter. This number is expected to swell upward to about 150,000 as the result of the registrations of voters with new on-going registration exercise for the youths with the new generations national identity cards.

This figure could give twice more than voters expected to be register in all other five parliamentary constituencies that forms the part of the expansive Homa-Bay County. The constituencies include Mbita, Gwassi, Ndhiwa, Rangwe and Homa-Bay Township.

The figures shown above would give Awiti the head-tart and with the majority of voters in Rachuonyo region behind him, the outcome would therefore be in favor of Awiti who is likely to carry the day.

Awiti’s main challenger Phillip Okundi could also be banking on marshaling the support of the two larger sub-clans among the groups that alias themselves Joka-Nyang’ur, which is grouping together the resident of kochia East and Kochia West,Gem East,Gem Central and Gem West Locations in Rangwe constituency because he hails from Kochia West which is part of this historical background. But he h as since lost the backing of the Kanyada group who will in the next elections be voting in the newly created Homa-Bay. Town constituency.

The recent newspapers advertisement announcing for the impending auctioning of some of Eng.Okundi’s properties is likely to have adverse repercussion on his candidature for the Homa-Bay County governor. His rivals are likely to exploit this to the maximum by pinning him down as someone who is heavily indebted and as such incapable of managing his own businesses and properties and therefore cannot be trusted to manage the County resources efficiently a its governor.

Okundi therefore urgently need to do more public relations and damage control exercise to re-brand and market himself a fresh to the electorate.

Other accusation against Okundi came as the result f the recently concluded, but highly controversial Ndhiwa by-elections. The by-election was called to fill the vacant seat left by the late abrasive Ndhiwa MP Joshua Orwa Ojode who died on June 10th together with his boss the former Internal Security Ministe Prof.Geworge Saitoti. Okundi was then the chairman of the ODM board of elections which he had performed poorly in that by- -election which led to his being shown exit-door by the party leadership There were unconfirmed rumors and allegation that Okundi was allegedly favoring one of his campaigners in Kabuoch who eventually emerged the winner of the highly flawed by-election Augustino Neto Oyugi.

Ndhiwa is part of the Homa-Bay County with close to 46,000 registered votes and the voters in this area might rebel against Okundi for his part in the much flawed by-election.

Ends

Kenya: Otieno Kajwang’ lost his famous fly whisk as fighting broke out at the Raila campaign rally in Homa-Bay Town

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Homa-Bay Town.

SCORES of people sustained bodily injuries while other are believes to have escaped with knives stab wounds when fighting erupted at an ODM “Mashinani Raila Odinga Campaign rally in Homa-Bay town last Sunday.

The famous walking fly whisk, which is usually used by the Immigration and Registration of Persons Minister Gerald Otieno Kajwang’ is believed to be one of the most important items which is believed to have got lost during the melee that followed free-for- all as the rowdy youth invaded the VIP dais.

Several leaders were floored including Minister Otieno Kajwang’were floored to the ground. They include the stout Rangwe MP Martin Otieno Ogindo

Four MPs attended the rowdy meeting which was called by the ODM Homa-Bay County branch whose chairperson is Minister Otieno Kajwang’who is the out-going Mbita MP. Also present were Eng.James K Rege [Karachuonyo} Joseph Oyugi Magwanga [Kasipul-Kabondo} and Martin Otieno Ogindo [Rangwe}. The nominated MP Millie Odhiambo arrived at the rally late after the fracas had long ended and left the venue immediately.

The Mashinani Campaign for Raila Odinga was called by the ODM Homa-Bay County branch as one of the series of public rallies being organized by the party at the various parts of the country mainly and specifically for the purpose of campaigning for the party leader Raila Odinga’s presidential election campaign to market and boost his popularity in the presidential race.

The rally was attended by nearly all the aspirants vying for the various elective positions within the Homa-Bay County governance such as senate, governorship, parliament and civic wards in the County. It comprises of different delegates from all the County’s seven parliamentary constituencies, which forms parts of the expansive County.

Earlier on the rally had burst into thunderous applause and cheers which lasted for several minutes following the triumphant entry at the meeting venue by Kajwang’s populist ‘rival the contest for Homa- Bay County Senate seat Hilary Ochieng’Alila.

Alila who has been missing from the political scene in the region for well over one month returned home last week from overseas business tour mission and declared that he was still in the race for the Senate set and sounded an early warning to Kjwang’to get prepared for as bruising election campaign battle.

The constituencies included Mbita, Gwassi, Ndhiwa, Rangwe, Karachuonyo and Kasipul-Kabondo and the two new constituencies which were among the 80 additional parliamentary electoral areas created by the IEBC an endorsed by an act o Parliament. The two newly created constituencies included Kabondo-Kasipul in Rachuonyo South district and Homa-Bay town within Homa-Bay district which was curved out of the larger Rangwe constituency.

According to the account of several eye witnesses, the fighting erupted when rowdy youths who were ferried in two school-buses from Oyugis Town to Homa-Bay Town-Bay made an an attempt to violently eject two ODM party branch officials from Kasipul-Kabondo who they aimed were note facto branch officials any longer an that then two had been ousted in a Kangaroo ODM elections recently hatched by the area MP and a few of his cronies at a meeting held at Dudi- View hotel in Oyugis Town and later purported to have been held at Sikri Center about six kilometers out of Oyugis town.

The two school buses which had ferried and conveyed the youths to Homa-Bay belonged to Wang’apala Secondary School in Kabondo Division and Nyang’iela Secondary School in Kasipul West.

Other youths who were said t have been armed with axes and machetes and other crude weapons, according to unconfirmed reports were ferried the CD vehicles from C office in Oyugi town, while others had travelled in a second-hand pajero four-wheel-drive car which is believed to belonged to the Kasipul-Kabondo MP Joseph Oyugi, Magwanga.

This particular group of hired p0litical goons while chanting obscene songs later visited a small cafeteria restaurant in Oyugis Town, which is owned by an aspirant in Kasipul parliamentary seat Charles Ong’ondo Were and threatened to beat u the customers

The two who the youth tried to eject out of the VIP dais violently were Zacharia Muga and Evans Ndege. The attempt sparked off the fighting which started at the VIP dais and spilled over spread into the otherwise orderly crowd of people in attendance. Fearing for their dear lives the crowd fled in disarray scampering in all directions during the melee and before the meeting was reconvened after peace and order was restored and the meeting continued. The knife which was aimed at the head of Mr Muga accidentally struck the wrong person whose identity remained unknown, but he is believed to have been delegate from the Suba region.

The incident has been roundly condemned by leader in the region who called upon those intend to convene similar rallies to strictly confine themselves to the agenda and purpose of the meeting which is the “Mashinani Campaign” for the Prime Minister Raila Odinga and not to allow the rallies to be used as the campaign platform for the aspirants aspiring for the various elective political offices, which was the source of the trouble at the weekend Homa-Bay meeting.

The alleged lost of Kajwang’s fly whisk could have a stigma and repercussion after the word went around the lost which is the Luo traditional symbol of leadership is said to have been given to him as gift by the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga during the clamor for the multi-party system of politics of the early1990s,which was championed by the doyen of the oppositionist politics in Kenya. Therefore its loss could spell the impending doom and bad omen for Kajwang’s future political leadership unless the Flywhiskis retrieved with uttermost urgency.

The Minister is said to have left the Homa-Bay venue of the rally a disappointed man. Both Kajwang’, Rege and Ogindo are the top officials of the ODM Homa-By County branch who were the joint conveners of the disrupted rally.

Other leaders have pointed an accusing finger to the Kasipul-Kabondo MP Magwanga for being allegedly responsible for the in Kisumu ODM County office and it ended peacefully.

On Monday this week close to 50 political persnlities from the greater Southern Nyanza, particularly Homa-Bay County visited Kisumu and held a series of discussions with top security men in the Nyanza Province concerning the upsurge waves of political thuggery in the region with great emphasis being laid in Rachuonyo South district where the campaign activities in the two parliamentary constituencies of Kabond Kasulandkasiul is becoming nasty and life threatening, which require the increased rigorous police surveillance and patrols.

Other leaders in Homa-Bay County have called upon the ODM party headquarters in Nairobi to instill and introduce strict disciplinary rules against any leader MP or an aspirant who is engaging in the war-like political activities which are likely to case a breach of peace I the region thereby causing bodily injuries to the innocent members of the pubic and party supporters the and urged the party to take stern action including barring such leaders fro contesting any elective office on it ticket.

Ends

Kenya: A populist Homa-Bay politician Alila returned home after a month long business trip overseas

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Homa-Bay Town.

A prominent Homa-Bay County prominent ODM activist Hilary Ochieng’ Alila jetted back into the country on Thursday morning after being away and missing from the political scene for over one month.

Immediately after his plane touched down at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Alila who had travelled abroad on a business trip issued a stern warning to his only opponent in the contest get prepared for a bruising fight.

His only rival for the Senate seat is the Immigration and registration of Persons Minister Gerald Otieno Kajwang’ who is also the incumbent Mbita MP saying he would evict the Minister out of Homa-Bay camp where he has set his new political camp after absconding from his Mbita constituency.”We shall sending him packing and back to Mbita in hasty.

Mbita is where Otieno Kajwang’ belonged therefore it mischievous for him to desert his voters there and take refuge in Homa-Bay town. He had absconded and run away from his Mbita voters after failing to deliver the goods, though he has been an MP there for close to 17 years.

The populist and youthful politician had travelled abroad immediately after successfully campaigning for his friend Augustino Neto Oyugi who the recent by-election during the recently conclude Ndhiwa by-election with the landslide.”This by election has pointed out the new political dimension in the region.”It is now a clear-cut that the electorate are for change, and it is time for the political ”deadhoods” and unproductive leaders to go home and take a rest honorably and respectably,” said Alila who sounded jovially when he phoned this write from the JK Airport on Thursday morning.

Alila also challenged aged and tired politicians to leave the scene for the youthful energetic and focused leaders. He said he was very optimistic of clinching the Homa-Bay seat. The coming weeks will see him extensive tour of all the seven parliamentary constituencies which included Kabondo Kasipul, Kasipul, Karachuonyo, Rangwe, Ndhiwa, Gwassi, Mbita.

“As far as the campaign for the Prime minister’s bid for the State House bid, some MPs from Luo-Nyanza have become the biggest liabilities than being assets to the party. The MPs, he added, “spent most of their weekends either drinking in big hotels, or causing chaos and mayhem in funeral homes. Instead of this,he said they should go out visiting out neighboring friendly communities and team up with their counterparts in those areas in lobbying and canvassing for votes for Raila Odinga.

“ We would like to her MPs fro Luo-Nyanza spreading their wings and making in-roads into other regions like Gusii counties, Kericho and Bomet Counties,Naro, Vihiga,Kakamega, Busia, Bungma and Nandi County sharing platforms with their counter-parts from those area while canvassing or votes for or party leader Raila Oding

‘Thee is nothing at stake at funeral gatherings inide Luo-Nyanza, All those I attendance happened to be Luos with unswerving loyalty the ODM and to to the Prime Minister and therefore do not need to be lectured about it. The MP should visit other area and open new fronts instead of polluting and polarizing the Luo-Nyanza,’said Alila.

He promised that with effect from first December he would lead the team of professions and youthful politicians from Nyanza and make extensive tour of other counties outside Nyanza where they will conduct door-to door votes hunting campaign for Raila Odinbga to enable him score a comfortable victory in the presidential election on march 4,2013.

Ends

Kenya: Former Kisumu Town MP Ken Nyagudi is much favored for a triumphant political come back in 2013

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.

The former MP for Kisumu Town West the Most Rev.Ken Nyagudi could score a surprise as the only former legislator from Luo-Nyanza who is likely to make it back to the august House after the Mach4, 2013.

However, this will be in a different constituency after the recent realignment following the sub-division of his former constituency and the creation of the Kisumu Central.

The new constituency which was created by the IEBC was among those 80 new parliamentary constituencies created by the electoral body and endorsement by an act of parliament. It will be much smaller, only covering the Central Business District{CBD} and peri-urban areas of Nyalnda, Pandpieri, Dunga, Obunga, industrial area, Jua Kali, Kibuye and residential estates of Arina, Ondiek, Lumumba, Shauri Moyo and Kenya Railways quarter.

Large portion of the former Kisumu Town West is now included in the new Kisumu Town West which has also included part of the former Kisumu Rural constituency covering parts of Kisumo East,West and Central rural locations whose the majority of its inhabitants are the indignant people known as Jo-Kisumo.

Rev Nyagudi who has declared his interest in the Kisumu Central had a head-start owing to his good track record when he served as the MP for Kisumu town West between 2002-2007. He Is credited for excellent utilization of government devolved money meant for the development of socio-economic projects. The shoe-shiners shades at the main Kisumu Bus Terminal are some of the living shinning example of its excellent service t the electorate.

Nyagudi, however, will be battling it out with an equally popular, influential and an experienced politician the name of George Kwanya Odidi, the former KFF official in Nyanza a director of the flourishing building construction firm.

Coincidentally Mrs Nagudi is a close relative of Odidi. They both hail from Kanjira sub-clan in Karachuonyo constituency in Homa-Bay County. There the contest is interestingly expected to be the battle of the two in-laws!!

Also rearing to have at shot at the Kisumu Central seat is the heavily moneyed youthful former Nairobi University student Ken Obura.

The youthful aspirant whose father was a elected civic leader in the County Council Kisumu was born in a political house. He is from Kano Kabonyo in Nyando district and he is reported to have graduated from the university in 2010, but already a successful businessman.

Obura is said t have mastered a large following of the electorate, mainly the youth. However, he will have to do a lot of damage control and public relations after one of the newspapers had in the previous weeks reported that he is linked with the TNA-URP. He has since fiercely denied the report and reaffirmed his unswerving loyalty to the ODM.

The Kisumu Central seat has also attracted a party’s inception and currently operating her businesses mainly in Nairobi.

Also in the race for the Kisumu Central seat as the youthful entrepreneur Abdul Khadir Omar who is running and managing flourishing motor vehicles spare parts in the City’s Industrial / Jua Kali area under the business flagship of “Duba Shop”.

Al the five aspirants are member of the ODM and will be battling for the party’s ticket during the preliminary nomination slated for December / January. Whoever sail through at the primary will automatically be the next MP or Kisumu Central due to the heavy concentration of ODM members in this newly created parliamentary constituency, which is a cosmopolitan in the true sense of the word because the winner will be representing a multi-ethnic residents of Kisumu town .

The electorate in this constituency include Indians, Luos,Arabs,Luhyias,Kisiis,Somalis. However, Rev Ken Nyagudi is considered like someone whose leadership has been tested and therefore he stand a better chance of beating his rivals with a large margin of votes.

Ends

Kenya: A sugar cane farmer joins the race for the newly created Awendo parliamnetary season in Miugori

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

The newly created Awendo parliamentary electoral constituency has attracted another parliamentary hopeful whose candidature is so unique and likely to attract members of the sugar cane farming fraternity.

He is the 42 year-old Seth Odiwuor Okoth who apart from being an accountant by profession is also a prominent sugar cane farmer within the locality.

Photo of Mr. Seth Odiwuor Okoth, a parliamentary hopefull for the newly created Awendo constituency seat in Migori County

Born in 1970 in Rabuor Kogelo in what used to be Sakwa East Location within Migori County, Okoth received his early education at Rabuor Primary School before proceeding to Kamagambo High School. He joined the Moi Institute of Technoo0gy{MIT} in Rongo and enrolled in the accountancy studies and later studied accountancy in Nyeri and wound up at Kimathi Institute of Advance Technology from where he proceeded to the prestigious Hong Kong University.

This is the University when he encountered some problems with the Hong Kong Immigration authorities forcing him to cut short his study tour and returned home his happened at the time when he had already enrolled for a law degree course

Despite of the shortcomings, Okoth finalized his CPA 11 and later completed CPA11.A staunchest ++ supporter of the ODM, the aspirant until last month was the Rongo district branch treasurer of the party. He only relinquished his position the other day after realizing that he was going to contest.

Okoth ‘s candidature is so unique that he is the only a farmer-cum-politician who is the race contesting a parliamentary seat and an area which forms the better ray hope to cane growers in the region that this time around thee will be some who will be tackling their problems t the highest level.

.Other aspirants are people who have excelled in other fields and professionals. They are well established in big job either with the government of parastatals and quasi government organizations.
,
Peaking during an exclusive interview this writer, Okoth decried what he termed as the row deal the cane farmers were getting from sugar millers who cares very little about the cane farmer’s predicament. As a farmer, he has gained a lot of experience and well versed how the cane farmers, were being mistreated impoverished and enslaved by unscrupulous millers who makes huge profit from their sweats.

Awendo constituency is one of the 80 constituencies which were recently created by IEBC and approved by Parliament. It was curved out of the old Rongo constituency. It has also attracted other aspirants who include Fred Otieno Kopiyo who is the Principal of Gamba Secondary School, John Owuor who the Personal Assistant to the Minister for Public Service Dr and others.

Ends

Kenya: Okundi endorsed in Kisumu

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By Dickens Wasonga.

The race to clinch Homa Bay county governor’s seat is hotting up. On Monday prominent politician and immediate former Member of Parliament for Rangwe engineer Philip Okundi also eying the seat got a boost for his bid when he was endorsed by eight civic leaders from the area.

The civic leaders made the endorsement after a daylong meeting convened and attended by the wealthy and influential politician at an exclusive upmarket resort in Kisumu City.

Led by the Homa Bay municipal council Mayor Councillor Charles Katinga the leaders said they have opted to throw their weight behind Okundi given his past development record over the years in the area.

He said that Okundi is the only candidate who has come out to openly seek for their support for his bid for the governor’s position in the forth coming general elections

Okundi worked in public service for a long time holding key government positions amongst them as the managing director of the Kenya Bureau of standards. He was also the MD Kenya Ports Authority at one point among other positions.

Before he resigned from the government recently to contest the governor seat, he was the chairman of the Communications commission of Kenya.

Okundi lost his Rangwe seat at the last general elections to a relative newcomer in politics Martin Ogindo who is the current sitting Mp.

ENDS.

Kenya: Kipsigis people did not approve Ruto-Kenyatta alliance and still maintain that Raila is the right man for the presidency

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News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Kericho Town.

SOME of the amorphous tribally driven political alliances being formed specifically with one simple agenda; that of how prevent the Prime Minister Raila Odinga from succeeding President Mwi Kibaki as the next President of the Republic are likely to be fizzled out even long before the next poll slated for March 4, 2013.

The residents of this rich tea growing region have become increasingly weary of the anti-Raila sentiments, and wee now demanding that the anti-Raila elements should be clear in their campaign agenda.”They should tell us what they intend to do for Kenyans instead of filling the air with anti-Raila empty political slogans and rhetoric’s,” remarked a prominent politician in Bureti district J.L Ng’eno.

A leading KANU politician in Kipsigis land William Kipkemoi Arap Kettienya has cautioned his community to aware and move cautiously about the numerous tribally oriented political alliances. ’These alliances, he said could be recipe to chaos and mayhem.”

The common belief of many people in this region is that some monetary interests has driven politicians are the one who have of late ditched the ODM and crossed to form amorphous alliances with wealthy politicians from other region.

Unfortunately those forming alliance don’t go back home and inform their people what such alliances entail to their communities. It is the question of serving selfish interest. And this is one of the reasons why they have decamped from the ODM in the recent past sought for green pasture in other parties, which are led by wealthy politicians from other regions.

Another prominent Kipsigis politician who has requested that his name should not be mentioned predicted that “As soon as the campaign resources, which are said to be n abundant supplies in the TNA-URP alliance dries up,’Our people will begin running back to the ODM, which I believe is the only.”

During my numerous interviews with the leading personalities and residents of this rich tea growing region of Kericho and Bomet Counties, I gathered some vital information which are clearly indicating that despite of the intensive heat of mid-slinging campaign against Raila Odinga mounted by some Kalenjn MPs aligned to the Eldoret North MP William Ruto, the Prime Minister is still the darling of the majority of the Kipsigis people.

The community is not comfortable with the political alliance an coalition TNA_URP, but the people here are willing t vote for Ruto if he is contesting the presidential seat alone on his own on URP party ticket.

The people of this region, which is part of the expansive Rift Valley Province, are not comfortable with Ruto-Kenyatta alliance as simple mischievous and political sell-out. They are viewing such an alliance as it seeks to sideline other Kenyan communities from the mainstream of national politics in the country and as such could be recipe to chaos and mayhem.

I also discovered that the normal quiet UDM party which is led by the retiree former Dept CGS Lt.Gen {rtd}.John Arap Koech, who is himself a highly respected Kipsigis personality is the second most preferable political movement after the ODM. What the UDM must do in order to build its credibility is put its grass root structures on the ground. It should conduct its grass rot election and set in motion its activities in the region.

Ends

Kenya & World: Diaspora Voter Access Petition against IEBC Polling Centers Decision

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from: Kenya Diaspora Development Forum of MN.

Nov 11th, 2012

Kenya Diaspora Development Forum
2825 Cedar Ave. S.,
Minneapolis, MN 55407
USA

Kenyan Diaspora Voters,

As you may already be aware, the IEBC has announced the polling centers for Kenya Diaspora voters in USA. There will be, according to the IEBC, only three polling centers established at Kenya’s diplomatic stations in New York, Los Angeles and Washington DC. This measure means that Kenyans living in the mid-western region of USA will be required to travel to one of the three centers, first, to register to vote, and, afterwards, to cast their vote. The practical and cost implications of this actions are unacceptable. The IEBC is, in effect, perpetrating voter suppression, denying Diaspora voters equitable access to voting and disenfrachising Kenyans contrary to the constitution. In addition, the IEBC is imposing a requirement that voters in the mid-west should incur costs that will run into thousand of dollars in order to vote. This requirement is not being imposed on other voters. Exercising the right to vote is a fundamental democratic right enshrined in the law. You will recall the IEBC recently asked for our views on establishing voting centers in the Diaspora. Have those views been put into consideration or was the IEBC survey a cosmetic measure?

In order to make our voices to be heard by the IEBC and Kenyan authorities, the KDDF-MN has started a petition to be signed by all Kenyan Diaspora voters. The petition calls upon the IEBC to establish polling stations that will be accessible to all eligible Kenyan voters. Our position is that the basis of assigning polling centers should be demographic, spatial and logistical considerations rather than the convenience of administrative (diplomatic) stations.

We urge you to sign the petition at:

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/don-not-disenfranchise-diaspora-kenyans.html#sign

By signing the petition, we will be making our unequivocal voice against this measure to be heard and, with one accord, calling on the IEBC to establish polling stations in a fair manner. The petition will be sent to the IEBC and all other concerned authorities with a five day period. It is, therefore, important that all Diaspora Kenyans sign this petition.

We are counting on your voice on this matter.

B. Metho I Secretary I 612.399.6163 I kddfmn@gmail.com I http://www.kddfgroup.org/

Disclosure: Kenya Diaspora Development Forum (KDDF) is a non-partisan organization whose main focus is promoting the progress through expanding collaboration between the Kenya Diaspora community, national and transnational partners. KDDF-MN is neither a subsidiary of any organization nor an extension of any political organization.

Kenya: Dr Machage’s set conditions for crossing into ODM is vehemently rejected by Migori County politicians

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AN ATTEMPT BY FOUR MPS FROM MIGORI COUNTY TO HAVE ALL THE ELECTIVE POSITIONS WITHIN THE COUNTY SHARED PROPORTIONATELY BETWEEN LUO AND KURIA HAVE RUN INTO BIG TROUBLE.

News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Migori Town.

The power sharing plan brokered by four Members of Parliament fro Migori County without involving the entire ODM members are reportedly to have run into big trouble.

The politician appeared have agreed that all the elective positions must be contested in a democratic manner with no seats to be reserved for any particular community.

The proposal is said to have been endorsed and sanctioned by the ODM party leader Raila Odinga during his tour of Kuria two weeks ago. Raila, however, made no public formal announcement and is said to have steered clear of the issue.

On of the Kuria ODM leader J.M Magaiwa who is the current ODM party Migori County branch chairman had requested that the Senate seat be preserved for him that the party should give a direct nomination as one way of securing the Kurias votes for Raila’s presidential bid.

The issue has since degenerated a lot of controversies and threatening to tear the ODM support apart in the region . Politicians inside the Luo side of the County have faulted the PM arguing that such issue amounted to forcing unpopular in the voters.

Moreover, they argued, there is no ODM branches or offices established n the region and which are formally operating inside the two districts of Kuria East and West and as such it would be a mockery to the tenets of democratic principles t offer one member from the region such coveted position in a silver plate..

The four MP who are said to have called a m secret meeting in Nairobi which deliberated on the contentious issue included Dalmas Oteno {Rongo] John Pesa {Migori} Edick Omondi Anyanga {Nyatike} and Cyprian Omolo [Uriri}.

During the PM tour The Kuria MP Dr Walter Machage was asked by Raila to cross over to the ODM, but the legislator who is also an Assistant Minister in the coalition government an a member of the PNU told the Prime Minster his face that he would not move to the ODM until certain conditions were met. These include the promise that the marginalized minority communities within Migori County will be taken care of as far County governance is concerned.

It as the been resolve that a task force committee should be formed by the MPs to map out how the plan and strategies on how the organized communities would be accommodate in the County governance in Migori could be accommodated into the ODM.

It is being rumored that Dr.Machage had given the ODM big-wigs condition that he was willing to join the party on condition that he would be given direct nomination as the next Migori County Senator, and that the MPs have been arms-twisting ODM leaders and supporters to succumb Dr.Machage’s condition.

The common pinion is that such an arrangement encourages tribalism in ODM. It has sidelined other inhabitant of the County such as Luhyias, Kisiis Maragolis, Suba and Somalis.

The Migori County Senate seat has attracted quite a god number of well established politicians from the Luo side of the County whose campaign trail had already ht the ground. They included the former Mathare MP Gilbert Ochieng; Mbeo, former Homa-Bay MP Phares Oluoch Kanindo,

The two have been on the campaign trail for last two years ,and might not accept any move to sideline them. The idea and move has elicited a lot of jittery in and altered the tempo of Migori County politics as the majority of the residents are willing to accommodate a Kuria representative into a position of the deputy governor respectively as one way of power-sharing arrangement. They are vehemently opposed to the idea of anybody getting direct nomination by the ODM without going through the process of open election contest.

Other have been heard saying that they would accept Mr Magaiwa the ODM boss to be elected the Senator, but not Dr.Machage whom they seemed not to trust and whose politics appeared to have been somehow retrogressive and parochial.

It would an up-hill task for Raila to market Machage to the Luo voters as he is perceived to be a hostile neighbor, while Magaiwa is seen as a moderate and a cohesive person who can work with the rest harmoniously.

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Kenya: President Obama’s 91 year old Kenyan grand mother is taken ill after prolonged days and night of election victory dances and celebrations

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WRITES Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

For the third nights celebrations festivities coupled with excessive feasting on meat of the four slaughtered fat huge bulls unlimited supplies of beer, other alcoholic beverage and soft drinks, music and all sorts of traditional dances and songs, the US President Barrack Obama’s 91-year-old granny was taken ill.

Mama Sarah Obama who has defied her advanced age and kept nights of vigil sine Monday while anxiously waiting to hear the fate of grandson ‘s re-election without sleep was on Thursday evening taken ill and hospitalized.

Family sources said she needed a minor surgery on her hand. The operation which took an hour-long was conduct at Bama Hospital in Siaya town about 10 kilometers away from her Alego-Kogelo Nyang’oma home.

Doctors at the hospital confirmed that the granny was driven into the facility by her son Said Obama in the company of her daughter Massat Obama at about 6.30 PM [local Kenyan time].

After the successful operation which last or an hour Mama Sarah Obama was driven back tom her Kogelo village home where she is currently recuperating.Her condition was said to be stable, though the doctors who carried out the surgery declined to divulge more details about her ailment.

Impeccable sources told this writer that the pain in Mama Sara Obama’s hand may have been triggered by dancing and wielding here walking [support} stick for long dancing celebrating her grandson Obama’s poll victory in the just ended US Presidential elections.

But the celebrations continue uninterrupted because the huge crowd of relatives, friend and well wishers who had converged in Kogelo was not immediately informed that Mama Sarah had been taken ill and the dancing continued unabated.

Said Obama hinted that the family was planning a trip to the US to join President Obama in celebrating his election victory.

The 91-year-old Obamas’s step grand mother’s health has of late been subject to a lot of speculations and rumors. Earlier this year, she spent several days at the Aga Khan hospital in Kisumu City where she was treated for undisclosed ailment.

She was at one time involved in a motor accident, but escaped with shock and minor injuries after her care skidded and rolled several time on the Kisumu-Siaya road.

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USA: Good bye, Mitt Romney

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From: Nita and Shaunna, UltraViolet Action

Dear Readers,

Thank you!! Because of you, and millions of women and men like you, women won big on Tuesday. We turned out to vote big time.1 We elected more women to the House and Senate than ever before.2 We broke a lot of barriers and had a lot of “firsts”–first openly gay Senator3, first Asian-American woman Senator4, first combat women veterans in the House.5 And it was a great night for equality all around, with marriage equality fights seeing victories in four out of four states!6

We also sent some of our biggest enemies packing: Todd “legitimate rape” Akin, Richard “rape pregnancies are a gift from God” Mourdock, the Romney/Ryan ticket, and other extremists lost at the polls. We showed politicians of all stripes that being anti-woman is political suicide.

This is proof that when women rise up, our power is limitless.

Now we need to make sure that everyone knows that 2012 was the year of the woman. We need people to know that women delivered, women won and we’re not going away.

We put together this graphic to celebrate the gains we made this year. Can you help spread the word by sharing this with everyone you know?

Thanks for speaking out!

–Nita, Shaunna, Kat and Karin, the UltraViolet team.

Sources:

1. Gender Gap In 2012 Election Aided Obama Win, Huffington Post, November 7, 2012

2. Women In Senate: 2012 Election Ushers In Historic Number Of Female Senators, Huffington Post, November 7, 2012

3. Wisconsin’s Tammy Baldwin is first openly gay person elected to Senate, CNN, November 7, 2012

4. Hirono wins Hawaii race, will be first Asian-American female senator, The Hill, November 7, 2012

5. Thai-American Female Veteran Wins U.S. Seat, Wall Street Journal, November 7, 2012

6. Gay Marriage On The Ballot In 4 States, Huffington Post, November 6, 2012

KENYA & USA: IT WAS AN ECSTATIC MOMENTS IN NYANG’OMA ALEGO KOGELO VILLAGE AS PRESIDENT BARRACK OBAMA KENYAN FAMILY AND RELATIVES AS THEY RECEIVED THE NEWS OF HIS ELECTION VICTORY IN THE US.

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Nyang’oma Kogelo Village.

It was indeed an ecstatic moments for the thousands of enthusiastic Kenyans who had gathered in Nyang’oma Trading Center, and also at the Obama family home on Tuesday morning Siaya County while anxiously awaiting for the US Presidential election results.

Carrying twigs, seats and traditional clubs the huge and enthusiastic crowd burst into loud songs. They danced in rows of youth, women an elderly people. They were joined by President Obama’s 90 year old

Those who had kept vigil and slept in the open and braved the heavy down-pour as the rains pounded the area at the market place . They burst into song and danced, while heaping a lot of the US President as they matched toward the Obama’s family home with songs.

This prompted the overjoyed 90-year old Obama’s step grand mother Mama Sarah Obama to jump up on her feet and joined the dancers. They song {Wan wadhi Ka Sarah wan wadhi rwakoObama”}. Loosely translating “We are heading for Mama Sarah’s home to welcome Obama”.

The song and noisy sounds even awoken those who had already retired to bed at the nearby Kogelo Resort jumped out of their sleep. Earlier on the anxiety had gripped the KOgelo village when the results from Kentucky indicated Romney was leading. Some of the hotel guest slipped back into their room and went sleep in protest.

But all of a sudden they rushed back to the venue in thud and even the boda boda motorbike taxis riders roared back to the center to celebrate the victory when the news came thro8gh the huge TV screen, some women screamed and other even shade tears in joy.

This followed a call by a friend of the Obamas who phoned from the US to break the news.The caller called the proprietor of the Kogelo Resort Mr. Nicholas Rajula who is a cousin of Obama to beak the good news..The news was greeted with sounds of vuvuzelas, blowing of motor vehicle horns and all sort of noisy making musical instruments.

Rajula immediately announced that they would slaughter four more bulls for the crowd to feast on as their morning breakfast!!.

Braving the torrential rains the villagers and visitors danced to the tone of the numerous music including live bands and Ohangla

Batteries of international and local journalists took their positions to monitor celebrations in this tiny village that transformed in the last four years

Addressing newsmen Mama Sarah Obama attributed her step-grand son’s election victory in the US to “Humility and the grace of God helped Barrack Obama win the hotly contested election.”

The grand old granny who kept vigil for the last two nights ever since Monday thanked the American voters for giving her grandson another chance to lead them.

She said there were many people who are perhaps ten times better than Obama, but it was God’s will that he gets the second term.

“I knew he was going to win. We are happy for the victory and we are embracing everyone who visits our home.” she said as women and youth danced in groups.

“My grandson is loving and down to earth. I am asking him to work hard for the people ho voted for him and his opponent Mitt Romney also should consider working with him.” She said, adding that I prayed hard for his victory, because this time around he was competing against very tough opponent.’

Asked by newsmen if she would be travelling the US to witness President Obama inauguration as she did the previously, Mama Sarah shouted , “To bende nanyalo dong {How can I remain behind”}

Mama Sarah expressed her heartfelt thanks to those who have been keeping vigil in the village and in her home following the development via Television Screens sets mounted around and wished them safe journey back to their homes.

For the first time, the Kenyan police officers who have always received order of vetting who to be allow into Mama Sarah’ home on Tuesday morning allowed jovial villagers into the home to celebrate the much awaited victory with Mama Sarah and her immediate family members and relatives inside her compound which has remained heavily guarded ever since the threat of the Alqaeda backed Al-Shabaab in the neighboring Somalia.On the burning issue of President Obama not having considered Kenya a country where he had a family root for a visit Mama Sarah defended her grandson saying he has always been busy working for the people who voted or him.

Unlike in the previous occasion President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya and the prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga who is a distance of the Obama immediately appeared in most of the local Television stations in Kenya and promptly offered their congratulations to President Obama in his election victory.

In his message President Kibaki said the re-election was a re-affirmation of the confidence of the Americans to you for your well deserved victory, I commend the American people for showing their confidence in your leadership.

On behalf of the government, the people of Kenya and on my own behalf, I convey our congratulations to you, for your well deserved victory. Kenya, as always, is proud of our association with you. We look forward to deepening of relations between our two countries, during your second term in office.

IN his message the Prime Minister for Kenya Minister Raila Amolo Odinga sent congratulated President Obama. He said Obama had electrified the world with his re-election, something that ha made Africa and Kenya in particular proud.

“It is a tribute to the people of the United States that they have re-elected an African American President amid an immensely trying economic environment that would have tested any incumbent.’”It is therefore also a message of congratulations from Kenya’;s Vice President Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka and several cabinet Ministers, MPs and leader from all walks of life.

However, the big question which appeared to be in the lips of the many senior African diplomats in Nairobi and elsewhere is “what President Obama re-election meant to the world in general and African continent in particular.

Sub-Saharan Africa has only received one cursory trip from Obama during his first term. So how much will change in President Obama’s second term? That question was, perhaps understandably, barely mentioned in an election campaign that focused on pressing US domestic issues and the Arab uprisings.

The start o Obama’s second term is likely to b preoccupied with more of the same international efforts to remove Al-Qaeda linked rebel from the north of Mali and efforts to ensure that Zimbabwe and Kenya avoid repeating the violence that wrecked their last election.

So far there is no sign of a “grand Obama Doctrine for Africa and perhaps that’s a good thing, given the diversity and complexity of the continent, Obama has left to others to warn about the danger posed by insatiable China, but the second term may give him an opportunity to move away fro preoccupation with war on terror and focusing the broader issues- trade in particular that he raised thee years ago in China,”Commented the Kenyan popular daily The STANDARD’.

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