The Kisumu County Women Representative position has attracted another high profile aspirant in the name of Dr.Rose Kisia Omondi a senior lecturer at the Moi University Eldoret.
Dr Kisia-Omondi who is commonly known as Nyar-Suba, grew up in Awendo town and its environs. She is married to another University lecturer Dr. ndi from lower Nyakach Kabondho.
photo of Dr.Rose kisisa Omondi
She is the second woman to show interests in the seat and will face it up with the moneyed Mrs Nyamunga, from Kano Plains and the wife of the former Nyando MP Eng. Eric Opon Nyamunga who is also a business tycoon in Kisumu Town.
Dr Rose Kisia Omondi took her early education at Sare Primary School in Awendo Town before moving to Ogande Girls High School , which is located near Homa-Bay Town.
She is the holder of the PHD degree in management and economics {NZ}, MBA which she obtained from the University of Wales in the UK, Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Nairobi.
Dr Rose Kisia-Omondi said she has travelled extensively all over the world and gained sufficient experience, which if elected to be one of the next Women Representative in parliament she could put into good use for the purpose of poverty eradication.
THe vision, she declared is to give the people of Kisumu County whose population is now close to 900,000 the most effective representation and leadership which is based on action oriented.
She told this writer that Kiksumu has a lot of potentiality for economic growth, citing Lake Victoria and its resources, fishing industry, cash crops production such as sugar cane, horticulture.
The land in this region , she said is fertile and could be used to produce a lot of cash crops.And now that the Kisumu Airport is expanded to accommodate bigger planes, it could be used in exporting horticultural products to Europe and destination directly.
Dr Kisia –Omondi said she is a life member of the ODM and she is a social democrat who believes in the democratic principles as well as in equity and fairness and social justice for all.
Dr.Kisia Omondi has appealed to all those contesting various elective seats in the region to conduct their campaign in peaceful manner while respecting the law of the land.
She challenged her opponent to speak less, but to think hard how the abject poverty could be eradicated and whipped out of the region through concerted efforts.
Dr. Kisia Omondi is the younger sister of the long-serving KNUT EXECUTIVE SECRETQARY FOR Migori district, the late MijunguKisia.
THREE Luo Ministers got a rude and shocking reception in Siaya County over the weekend after they were accused of killing the democratic space which Kenyans have fought for many years.
The Ministers James Aggrey Orengo {Lands} Gerald Otieno Kajwang’ {Immigration and Registration of Persons Minister and Dr. Oburu Oginga who is the Finance Assistant Minister had gone to Sega Town in the Ugenya constituency to drum up the support for Dr. Oburu Odinga who is vying for the Siaya County governor.
Close to 2,000 delegates from all over the six parliamentary constituencies within Siaya County attended the meeting, but flatly refused to be coerced to endorse Dr. Oburu Oginga as the sole ODM candidate for the lucrative and powerful position of Siaya County governor.
Dr. Oburu Oginga is facing a Siaya business man William Oduol in a two men horse election race for the same position. The rowdy delegates made life difficult for the Minister and MPs accompany them. At one point one of the enraged delegates stood up and grabbed the microphone from Minister Orengo raising tension as the delegates engaged in the shouting match drowning the Ministers voices.
The delegates were arguing that there be no sacred cow and that all the aspirants interested in contesting various elective seats should be cleared by the ODM for the electorate to finish their work at the ballot boxes come March 4, 2013.
Present at the meeting were Rarieda MP Eng Nicholas Gumbo, Alego-Usonga MP Edwin Ochieng Yinda, Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo and Rangwe MP Martin Otieno Ogindo.
The same shouting match was witnessed when the Ministers and MPs moved out of Sega Primary School ground and moved to Ugunja Town for the public rally.
Meanwhile in Homa-Bay County three prominent Luo politicians vying for the various elective seats launched their campaign officially at the different venues.
The first to launch his campaign for the contest for the position of Homa-Bay County governor was Cyprian Otieno Awiti, the retired former Country Director of Marrie Stoppie Clinics. Awiti’s colorful launching was graced by the secretary-General of COTU {K} Francis Atwoli.
After the launching Awiti drover in a convey of close to 50 motorcade and snaked around Gwassi constituency, visited Kisegi, Sindo and Magunga,God-Bura, Nyandiwa before sailing across the Mbita Channel to Mfangano Island using Mbita Ferry.
On Sunday Awiti attended the Sunday Mass and prayers at the Mausoleum of the Late Tom Mboya near Matenga Beach in Kamasengre , Rusinga West in Mbita constituency.He addressed a public rally at Kolunga Beach in Kamasengre. He later toured Wanyama, Utajo fish landing beaches in Rusinga East Location and Mbita town where he addresses huge crowds of enthusiastic supporters.
Awiti and his entourage crossed the MBITA Channel on Monday and moved to Osodo Primary School in Kamireri and at luanda in Gembe Location before moving to Lambwe West and Lambwe East location within Mbita constituency.
On the mainland, Awiti’s arch-rival for the same position Eng.Phillip Okoth Okundi conducted a marathon road-show which took him around Homa-Hills in West Karachuonyo before addressing a huge crowd at PALA Market in KANJHIRA IN Karachuonyo constituency.
The Immigration and Registration of Persons Gerald Oteno Kajwang’ who is vying for the Homa-Bay Senate seat also took his team to a road-show.
He officially launched his campaign at Rodi-Kopany about 8 kilometers outside homa-Bay town. His Caravan snakes out of Rodi Kopany and drover through Rangwe town before heading to \ndiru in Kagan Location before reaching Oyugis town where he addressed a huge crowd.
Kajwabng’’s trip, however, was not all that smooth. He encountered booing and heckling by rowdy youths at Rodi Kopany, who were believed to be the supporters of his rival Hilary Ochieng’Alila. The youth engaged the Minister in shouting match asking him to explain the reason why he had abandoned his Mbita parliamentary seat after representing the area for close to 17 years.
In Rangwe Town the Minister met with a hostile crowd of youths shouting the names of Hilary Ochieng’Alila and urged the Minister to move out of the place because they did not want him.
Minister Kajwang’, however, was well received at Oyugis Town where he addresses a huge crowd of people and urged them to elect reliable and credible leaders who would deliver the goods and alleviate poverty in the region.
From the looking of things, Awiti appeared to be having the upper hand in his bid to capture the Homa-Bay County governorship seat. He appeared to have captured the Suba region as well as Ndhiwa constituency well ahead of his opponents.
Homa-Bay County is covering seven parliamentary constituencies which included Gwassi, Mbita, Ndhiwa, Rangwe, Homa-Bay Town, Karachuonyo, Kasipul and Kabondo Kasipul and is the largest County in the region.
Other aspirants or the governor position included Prof.Akeyo Omolo of the Maseno University, while the Senate seat appeared to be a two horse race between Kajwang’and the youthful Nairobi based business tycoon Hilary Ochieng’Alila whose popularity has hit the region with thud like thunderstorm.
Kisumu CITY, which in the year 1969 set the political history by voting in the first woman who was popularly elected MP, is set to repeat the same history by voting a woman to Parliament under the new constitutional dispensation.
In 1965 the lake side town picked Mrs Grace Aketch Onyango as the first woman Mayor in Kenya. The City repeated the same achievement by voting overwhelmingly in favor of Mrs Grace Aketch Onyango as the first woman MP in the 1969 general election on a KANU ticket. Mrs Onyango thereafter represented Kisumu for the next 22 years.
From the face of things Mrs Rosa Buyu, a Nairobi-based business woman who has a family root in Bondo like the previous MP Grace Onyango, is set to become the next MP for Kisumu Town West under the newly realigned parliamentary constituency which was curved out of the Kisumu Toiwn West, now Kisumu Central.
The incumbent MP is John Olago Aluoch, a prominent Kisumu lawyer. In 2007 Mrs Buyu is believed to have beaten Olago Aluoch hands down during the ODM nomination, but her she was robbed of election victory through rigging by some ODM operatives who wanted to sideline her because of her family relations with the Prime Minister Raila Odinga. However, Odinga remained non-committed and neutral through out the hotly contest ODM election battle between Buyu and Aluoch.
Rosa Buyu is the daughter of Kisumu business magnate the late Mzee Parick Onyango Ochang, the former proprietor of the Nyataya Bus Company. Her father for many years was the confidant of the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.
The new regional Kisumu west constituency now comprises exclusively rural locations which were previously included in the Kisumu Rural constituency and part of Kisumu town and its environs like Nyahera, Ojola, Chula-Yimbo and Karateng’ and Kiboswa.
The majority of the residents of these rural Locations are the indigenous people jo-Kisumo.Although Mrs Buyu has a family root in Bondo, she is married to a Mr Randiak of Kadawa Kisumo near Holo market. Her mother in-law Mrs Dorothy Randiek is the former trusted sister of the late Roberet John Ouko, the slain former Kenya’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and international Cooperation who died in February 1990.
The residents of these rural locations are the indigenous jo-Kisumu, while the outgoing MP Olago Aluoch is a member of the Jo-Kanyakwar an immigrant clan whose roots could be traced in Alego Siaya.
An eloquent speaker in both English and Dho-Luo vernacular, Mrs Buyu is a graduate of Nairobi University is so popular with rural folks and women as well as youth. She is a resourceful and generous lady who is reported to have been assisting many families in distress and need of school fees and other problems.
The beautiful Rosa Buy is a wit and unbeatable in a political platform. She has displayed her ability to mobilize the crowds during her recent appearances in a number of funeral homes within the Jo-Kisumo sub-clans.
Olago Aluoch, however, is credited for having been the most effective defender of Raila Odinga both inside and outside parliament, but he should have been advised to defend his own parliamentary seat in Kisumu Central, an area comprising mainly residents of the peri-urban areas of \nalenda,|Pand-pieri, kibuye, Obunga, Kondele and the Central Business district [CBD} instead of going for the Kisumu West seat.
Olago Aluoch tenure is shrouded with multiple accusation of poor disbursement of CDF and other government revolving money, the worse being the school bursary fund, where mothers of the poor students seeking bursary for their children have allegedly being asked for sexual favors before their children could be issued with the bursary fund, money which is always ranges between 3,000 and 4,000 not exceeding Kshs 5,000 , Whereas in the neighboring Kisumu Town East constituency the incumbent MP Shakeel Ahmed Shabir is credited for being so generous in giving out busary money for the needy students ranging from Kshs 10,000 and above.
Olago Aluoch is facing other allegations of having sidelined the indignant Jo-Kisumo people and having engaged outsiders to man the CDF and constituency offices, most of the managers are people from Siaya, South Nyanza, Migori and Rachuonyo with none from among the jo-Kisumu.
These outsiders are being accused of having vandalized the revolving funds and converted the money for personal use in total disregards to the plight of the electorate.
These are some of the major issues which are likely to dominate the campaign in Kisumu Town West. Mrs Buyu is said to have used her own resources helping the students from poor families. She is also unlike Olago Aluoch is accessible both in Kisumu and in Nairobi.
Police in Uriri district are actively investigating the circumstances which led to the grisly murder of the younger brother of the former area MP the late |Herman Odhiambo Omamba.
The body of Joshua Omamba aged about 35 years was fished out of a dam near Ayiego Center in North Kanyamkago Location, Uririr district, Migori County.The body had a deep cut at the back of the head and multiple knife stabs all over.
The area Chief Milton Obote told this writer that they suspected the killing to be as the result of long standing family feuds. And at the same time it could be as the result of love-triangle as the deceased is suspected to have picked a quarrel with one of his younger brothers a few days earlier who he was suspecting of having an affair with his wife,
THe deceased’s younger brother is also an aspirant for the North Kanyamkago Katieno Ward County Representative seat.
The area D.C, George Lagat could not be reached immediately for comment. However, the killing has attracted wholesale condemnation of nearly all political leaders in Uriri including parliamentary aspirants
Among those who expressed concerned and urged the government to beef up the security in the area is Martin Owiny who is vying for Uriri seat current held by Cyprian Ojwang’ Omolo.
The elders in the area have also cautioned the parliamentary aspirants in the area to desist from the bad habit of feeding rowdy youths with “Chang’aa’.
The incident occurred on the night of December 27, 2012 when the deceased failed to return homer from the chang”aa drinking dens near Ayedo Chief’s camp. So far no arrest has been made in connection with the killing of the deceased who was an ODM operative in the areas.
In Civility In Kenyan Politics; Let’s Do Away With Hate and Other Nasty, Destructive Habits, I recall the experience of meeting someone from the opposite side of Raila/ODM politics and one particularly unhappy with my blogging regarding his preferred candidate/coalition. I note how despite this gentleman’s unhappiness with what I write, we nonetheless had a very courteous, civil even brotherly discussion with this gentleman who turns out to be a close Uhuru adviser and confidant contrast this with the hateful name calling and other uncivil responses yours truly gets from those who support the same candidate or others far removed from the candidate who they don’t even know and vice versa (read the candidates don’t know them) and that should tell one all they need to know as to which one is the right way and which one is the wrong, unacceptable way of dealing with political disagreement–or disagreement, period!
Peace, Unity and Truth
Omwenga
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We are calling on all the Youth to support the Youth under 35 seeking elections as Members of County Assemblies Country wide. Thanks for Supporting the National Youth Sector Alliance
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Civility in Kenyan Politics; Let’s Do Away With Hate and Other Nasty, Destructive Habits
A few days ago, I was at the Serena meeting with a friend and business associate. Sitting not too far from our table were five gentlemen, one kept looking at me as though he wanted to say hello or something and this went on for some time but nothing was exchanged.
The person did not look any familiar to me at all but it was clear by the way he kept looking at yours truly he either knew me or was confusing me with someone he knows, which is not unusual.
CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation is an international alliance of civil society working to strengthen citizen action and civil society throughout the world, especially in areas where participatory democracy and citizens’ freedom of association are challenged. This report is published by CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, and is the first report on the changing health and state of civil society.This report looks at five key thematic areas across civil society: civil society response to emergency and crisis; protest, activism and participation; the space for civil society; the resourcing of civil society; and civil society’s role in the multilateral arena.
Link: http://socs.civicus.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/State-of-Civil-Society-2011.pdf
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Jobs in Africa – www.wejobs.blogspot.com
nafasi mpya za Kazi www.kazibongo.blogspot.com
Habari na Picha www.patahabari.blogspot.com
Confusion together with booing, jeering marred the launching of ODM secretary general and Medical Services Prof. Anyang Nyongo’s bid for Kisumu County Senatorship.
Coupled with that five Members of Parliament drawn from the entire Kisumu County which he purports to want to represent skipped the event that was staged at the Kisumu Kenyatta Sports Ground and attended by outsiders namely Ministers James Orengo and Paul Otuoma.
The MPs who included Ochieng Diama (Nyakach), Fred Outa (Nyando), Olago Aluoch (Kisumu Town West) and Prof. Ayiecho Olweny (Muhoron) all failed to attend without any apology.
Only Shakeel Shabir (Kisumu Town East) showed up briefly and left before the function kicked off, Nyongo was also not in sight to see him off.
The absence of the MPs even though they were all invited left many supporters of the medical minister wondering whether they approve of his candidature.
During his speech Prof. Nyongo failed to show cause why his colleagues had given his launch a wide berth.
Some of the aspiring candidates for the same post include Eng. Ocholla Ogoda and Eng. Otieno Odongo.
The Immigration and Registration of Persons Minister Gerald Otieno Kajwang’ is among the seasoned Luo politicians in Nyanza who are said to be in great panick following the recent entry into the Homa-Bay County Senate seat contest by the youthful and populist challenger Hilary Ochieng’ Alila.
Kajwang’ who is the outgoing MP for Mbita and a closer confidant of the ODM leader Raila Odingahas shifted his political camp from Mbita to Homa-Bay Town and declared that he would not defend his parliamentary seat next March. Instead he is contesting the Homa-Bay County Senate seat.
Fears and discontent persist in many constituencies that many aspirants for the various elective seats within the County governance, parliament, senate, governorship and county ward representatives could be locked out of the race during the ODM nominations exercises, which are known not to be free and fair.
Such fears still persist despite the repeated assurances given by the party leader Raila Odinga that ODM nominations will be free and fair.Many aspirants are suspicious that the nomination certificates will be issued through the back door, and that certain individuals earmarked as favored candidate could get their clearance certificates from the back door.
He recent power-sharing arrangement between the Luos and Kuria communities in Migori County has fueled such fear because the majority of the would be candidates have made it clear that they have never heard of the negotiated democracy, and have urged the ODN leadership to allowed those who have spent enormous resources in the campaign to go into the ballot boxes with their opponents instead of what they termed as ”primitive and unworkable negotiated democxracy”.
It appears as if the contest for the highly valued Homa-Bay Senate seat would be a two horse-race between Kajwang’ and the youthful Alila.
JKajwang’s fears aroused from the trip made by the Prime Minister Raila Odinga to Ndhiwa constituency during the recently conclude by-election to fill the vacant Ndhiwa seat left by the death of the former incumbent the late Joshua Orwa Ojode.
During the tour, the Prime Minister flew in one chopper with Alila and later traversed the full length width of the expansive Ndhiwa constituency, an act which sparked a lot of rumors and speculation the local immediately went into high notch of rumor that Alila is the favorite aspirant for the Homa–Bay Senate seat.
It got worse for Kajwang’ when Alila appeared at the controversial ODM Mashinani rally held in Homa-Bay town.He was mobbed by the enthusiastic crowd and given an arousing ovation and praise. The meeting was convened by Kajwang’ in his capacity as the chairman of the ODM Homa-Bay County branch.Other MPs who attended the rally included Eng James Rege {Karachuonyoi} Joseph Oyugi Magwanbga {Kasipul-Kabondo} and Martin OItieno Ogindo {Rangwe} The nominated M P Millie Odhiambo attended the meeting briefly, but only after the fracas in which scores of people sustain knives wounds and other bodily injuries.
From the looks of things Otieno Kajwang’ appeared to have been scared by the standing ovation that greeted the arrival of his challenger Hilary Alila whom also addressed the rally and urged the voters to go for the energetic and youthful aspirants.
The Homa-ay is covering the widest area which included seven parliamentary constituencies, which included Mbita, Gwassi, Ndhiwa, Rangwe Karachuonyo, Homa-Bay Town, Kasipul and Kabondo Kasipul.
After the Ndhiwa tour by Raila Odinga in the company of Alila the rumor-mongers went into full gear spreading that Alila is the most favorite candidate by “Jakom’, But so far Kajwang’ has had no chance of clearing the waves of this miking it appear credible of rumors and speculation leaving the room for the voters to make their own intelligence guesswork.
However, a good number of ODM leaders who attended the rowdy Mashinani rally in Homa-Bay town last month which ended in scor of people being injured with knives stabs and other missiles, have pointed an accusing fingers at the police force in the region accusing the security personel of laxityand complacency.
So far no arrest has been made despite the fact that many people recorded statement with the police, and even those who had sustained serious bodily harm have given their version of statement to the police. Other sources have it that the Homa-Bay police have sent signal to the police in Rachuonyo South district asking them to arrest and escort the suspect back to Homa-Bay to face criminal charges, but to no avail.
The move made last weekend, by the ODM leader Raila Odinga, to award the Senate seat to the Kuria tribe, as one way of teasing the minority Kuria community to vote for him in his presidential bid, has elicited lot of controversies in the region.
The decision which was reached after a closed door meeting held at the Migori town between the Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Kuria and some Luo leaders appeared to have offended many people in the region, especially the aspirants who have been campaigning for the various elective positions within the County governance.
Many have hinted that they would either decamp from the ODM o contest the elections as independent candidates. It has been termed as undemocratic, unconstitutional and dictatorial while other described the move as “primitive”.
At the same time other local leaders were heard hinting that thy might move to court to block the Senate candidature of the Assistant minister Dr Walter Machage who was awarded the Senate position, arguing that the Kura MP is the chairman of the DP and has yet to reigned from that party and PNU a party which has gone into a merger with TNA-URP alliance.
They said it is in vagrant violation of the clause in new constitution requirement which stipulates that for one to be allowed to contest the election on a political party one must have been a member of that party for the last six months.
The leaders in both Luo and Kuria have rejected the power-sharing arrangement with those on the Kuria side arguing that Dr Machage is not enjoying the supported by the entire Kuria community. He has no capacity to convince all the voters in Kuria to vote for Raila’ presidential bid as he is treated with contempt by the Kura as an opportunist in pursuit of his persona and selfish interest.
The power sharing decision came late after when the chairman of ODM in Migori County branch John Mgaiwa had already declared his intention to contest the Senate seat. Magaiwa campaign for the same seat had already hit the ground.
All the indications are that there could be mass defections from ODM in Migori County by the aspirants who have been campaigning o the various seats to other parties.
Among the leading personalities in Migori who have already been on the ground campaigning for the Senate seat included former Mathare MP Gilbert Ochieng’ Mbeo, former Homa-By MP Phares Oluoch Kanindo, former Gender Secretary Prof Colete Suda who told Raila to his ace that the awarding of some seats to people who did not campaign for them is undemocratic.
Local leaders blamed the Rongo MP Dalmas Otieno who is also the Minister for Public Services for having meddled in the matter in collaboration with the few Luo MPs from the region. They alleged that the Minister who is known to be always erratic politically had called a secret meting with some Kuria leaders and a few MPs from the region in Nairobi in secrecy without consulting the local party leaders and arrived at the unpopular decision.
In the hotly contested arrangement brokered by Raila, the Kuria will provide the deputy governor an women representative while the Luos will provide the governor and the Kuria would clinch the Senate seat.
From all the indications, the power-sharing arrangement might not see the light of the day judging from the objections raised by the Luos.some of those opposed to the idea accused Raila Odinga of having dictatorial tendency of planting unpopular leadership on the people.This, they said has forced many potential leaders out of the ODM who decamped to other parties.
The tendency of planting rejects to the electorate is what had killed the former powerful Pentagon outfit and sent its members fleeing from the ODM to other political parties, therefore the PM must change his tactics if at all he want to win the presidency. He should let the people who are interested in contesting the elections in various seats to compete with each other in a democratic manner, but not on a power-sharing arrangement which is autocratic and dictatorial.
Prof Suda told Raila that she had never known a democratic system in which the elective position is dished out. ”It is undemocratic and unconstitutional and does not take into consideration the interest of women.’
Moreover the Kuria MP who is facing the stiffest opposition at home has all these years is known to have been vilifying the ODM as a party and Raila Odinga its leaders, so his latest about turn and change of heat might not find soft landing within the ODM local party hierarchy.
The newly created Kisumu Central parliamentary constituency has yet attracted another high profile aspirant with very unique historical and political backgrounds, which the local political pundits were quick in predicting his impending election victory as being inevitable.
Kisumu Central electoral area was created by the IEBC as one of the additional 80 constituencies country-wide. It was curved out of the old Kisumu Town West, which has under gone extensive realignment
It will cover the old Peri-Urban areas of Nyalnda slums, Pand-Pieri, Milimani, Kaloleni Slums,Kibuye,Obunga, and the entire Central Business District {CBD} The old Kisumu Town West will now start from the Kisumu Airport and extend into the rural Kisumo Locations.
George Kwanya Odidi, 62 old water engineer by profession is a man of unique character. He was born a revolutionary man with political radicalism entrenched in his blood from childhood.
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HERE Is Mr Odidi’s photograph.
May be this is one of the reasons which landed him to a political detention camp for nine good months at the Naivasha Maximum Security Prison.
Born in 1950 at Kanjira in West Karachuonyo, Odidi received his early education at Ngeta Primary School and later joined Homa-Bay High school for both his “O” and “A’ levels.
He joined the Kenya for only two year between 1969 and 1970, but was later fired on suspicion that he was among those sympathetic to the 1972 abortive military coup that saw the former CGS Lt Gen Ndolo removed from the armed force and the first Kenyan African Chief Justice the late Kitili Mwendwa being sacked and scores of other given long prison sentences with hard labor.
During the government crackdown on suspicious soldiers and political dissidents Odidi, lost this army job. But he was lucky and after termacking for a few months he landed a new job with the Ministry of Water Development from where the lady-luck came calling on him. The Ministry offered him a three years scholarship to study water engineering course at the Warwick University in the UK
At the completion of his course Odidi returned home and was posted to work in Nyanza on promote as the Provincial Water Engineer in-charge of Nyanza Province.
An during his tenure in Kisumu, Odidi found himself in the catch-22 when the KANU regime under the retired President Daniel Arap Moi launched a full-scale crack-down on the members of the “Mwakenya dissidents countrywide.
He was among scores of those unlucky men and women ho got entangled in the Mwakenya underground activities and got netted in the crack-down by the dreaded Special branch security intelligence police unit.
He was among those who were charged in courts in connection with Mwakenya clandestine movement. He pleaded not guilty and the charges were withdrawn by the prosecution due to luck of sufficient evidence.
Instead of earning his freedom after the court case, Odidi was placed under security detention camp at the Naivasha Maximum Security Prison where he languished for the next nine months.
He was released from detention and fired from the government services without his terminal benefits. Odidi later got involved in football administration and won several position within the KFF in Nyanza region. At the same time he ventured into private business using his engineering training background and established his own enterprising construction firm.
During the first multiparty election of 192 Odidi surprised everyone when he trounced the then incumbent Karachuonyo MP Mrs Phoebe Muga Asiyo during the ford Kenya primary nominations prompting the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s intervention by prevailing upon him to stand down in favor of Mrs Asiyo.Jaramogi was the Ford Kenya national chairman.
Odidi reluctantly succumbed to Jaramogi’s and as a sign of respect to the doyen of oppositionist politics and highly respected freedom fighter he stood down but no sooner the news of his popularity in Karachuonyo reached the ears of the KANU Big-Wigs who immediately sent emissaries to persuade him to contest the election on a KANU ticket. KANU had offered to finance his election campaign with millions, but Odidi stood his ground and turned down.their offer.
Making the announcement for his candidature in Kisumu Central,Odidi said he will strive to initiate the revival of all of the stalled economic projects including manufacturing firms like Kenya Breweries plant in Kisumu are revived to alleviate unemployment of youths in the region.
He plan to ensure the manual removal o the dreaded water hyacinth which has of late became a real menace to the fishing industry, and also to empower youth and women to get involved in small and large scale enterprises, and also to encourage horticultural small scale farming by youths using water of Lake Victoria along its shorelines. The farm products could be exported
Diasporans have not be consulted for logistics or opinions. They should not be simply taken for granted.
What a shame Diaspora have to be denied rights last minute in a half-hazard manner …. !!!…..
The Coalition Government has now proved itself that it is incapable of leading Kenya to greener pasture. They have failed because of putting Special Interest and greed before Peoples Mandate. They failed because they did not have any Plan of Action when they got into Office, except they engaged in the Plunder of Public Wealth and Resources……..They have failed because the leadership was not able to set priorities of Things-To-Do; the Fundamentals of what make people get involved to commit to engage in organized Plan of Action to improve matters of Livelihood and survival, the things that are the engine that drives human activities that make the Country successful and united to achieve goals for life.
I must say that, the Coalition Government leadership spend more time doing nothing good for the Nation and the people of Kenya, with exception of going after their selfish ego and greed. They all failed misserably to comply with the oath they took to uphold Public service delivery as mandated. Many of them have pending cases in court with other irregularities that will not allow them to pass the Responsibility and Integrity Test as a result of so many issues of irregularities with conflict of interest.
They have no moral justice to turn against the Constitutional Legislative Rights of Diasporans. It is an obligation that the Diasporans exercise their voting rights to participate in electioneering process to elect the right person in the leadership of Kenyans. The Diaspora were the voice that saved Kenya from falling apart during the 2007/8. Their participation must be considered crucial and should not be taken for granted.
Kenya’s progressive Agenda for Development and sustainability cannot be fully realized without Diaspora’s full participation and engagement in election process. To deny them to vote is lacking moral value and legal justification that otherwise can be understood to be against the constitution, jumping the gun in an irregular manner which will not be tolerated nor will it be acceptable unless legally, it is Justified by the High Courts ruling against it with specifics. But, if things must be done the way Hon. Eugene Wamalwa puts it in the statement made in this video here under, then we will be forced to take this matter to be resolved at the court of our choice and the accruing expenses and costs incurred will be borne by the Coalition Government of Kenya.
We now urgently demand for proper explanation from Justice and Constitutional Minister Mr. Eugine Wamalwa to suffice information why Diaspora should not hold them responsible with costs for contravening the Legislative rights policy of Diaspora’s to participate in election process.
This matter will not rest until it will have been fairly heard. If Coalition Government leadership has failed they should say so. They had a lot of time in their hands doing nothing. It is time to take stock……..!!!
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
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Kenyans Living Abroad React
Published on Nov 28, 2012 by K24TV
Kenyans living abroad have reacted with fury at the news that they will not be voting in the upcoming general election. This follows yesterdays revelation by Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa that logistical challenges won’t allow Kenyans abroad to vote there. And as our reporter found out, most Kenyans abroad took to social media to express their frustration and anger.
It is only last week that PM assured us here in Korea that we will vote. What a turn by the same cabinet he sits on?
wilfody 1 hour ago
You talk as if we not Kenyans!
wilfody 1 hour ago
what a shame
Utadowot 2 hours ago
— On Wed, 11/28/12, margaret gichuki wrote:
From: margaret gichuki
Subject: Kenyans in Diaspora miss out on 2013 poll
Date: Wednesday, November 28, 2012, 8:20 AM
Me too.I don’t anymore.There were times I knew all the DC streets and parkings!
And it got worse sometimes when I found myself driving to NY.
Oh not anymore!
On Tue, Nov 27, 2012 at 6:17 PM, wrote:
Wams,
I stopped welcoming these selfish mongrels when they visit USA long time ago
Afwande
From: margaret gichuki
Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2012 15:40:36 -0500
Subject: Kenyans in Diaspora miss out on 2013 poll
Charles,
That’s a tall order but lets see.
I like when they ”visit us here”.The world comes to a stand still.
Never again!
On Tue, Nov 27, 2012 at 2:30 PM, charles mogeni wrote:
Chifu,
We can also make a statement here in diaspora so that our impact can be felt!
Don’t remit any funds for a month or so unless for emergency reasons like express medical care for our families or friends who need it.
I am sure heads will roll in Nairobi! However to reach such a collective decision in diaspora requires a lot of soul searching and committment.
I saw a clip of the video posted by Henry Ongeri whereby the IEBC chair Mr. Hassan claims that here in the USA only 25,000 Kenyans are registered a figure he claims he sourced from the Immigration officials who handle passport applications/renewals. In other words, besides that figure probably there is even less Kenyans registered. That kind of argument about the low numbers wins the day when it comes to allocating funds for a diaspora voter registration drive that there is not enough Kenyans tospend that kind of money.
As it stands now we in diaspora are living in “Loserville City” and when the politicians will be coming visiting our towns we’ll be jamming the halls to listen to them and not the other way round! What an irony!
My 50 cents.
Charles Mogeni
From: tomoreje@ . . .
Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2012 16:00:55 +0000
Subject: Kenyans in Diaspora miss out on 2013 poll
Some fellows like Wa-Mwangi who voted last in 1992 will have to wait for another five years.
From: “chifu_wa_malindi”
Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2012 15:54:36 -0000
Subject: Kenyans in Diaspora miss out on 2013 poll
Why? shame, shame, shame on you all…
— On Wed, 11/28/12, samoturiy@ . . . wrote:
From: samoturiy@yahoo.co.uk
Subject: Diaspora to move to court over voting
Date: Wednesday, November 28, 2012, 10:46 AM
What is the Next thing? Accept that you are done In and wait for 2017, for now through proxy sends lots of cash to your proxies to support what would have been ur choice. The money you spent on the candidates in not lost.
Future resources put into Diaspora -Investment Co Ltd that has been suggested many times.
Moturi
From: margaret gichuki
Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2012 10:29:05 -0500
Subject: Diaspora to move to court over voting
“It is very sad that Kenyan politicians, who have been harvesting money from Kenyans abroad, find it easy to deny them a voice in running the affairs of Kenya. To this we say no. Most presidential candidates and cabinet ministers have been abroad on fund raising missions. It is immoral to exploit money from people whose opinion one has no regard for” Said Professor Fulbert Namwamba of Louisiana.
Amos Wasike of Baltimore, Maryland said he had a lot of misgivings from the day the IEBC visited the US on the so-called fact finding mission. “They kept on insisting on progressive voting in a way that left no doubt in mind that they were not committed to the issue. One wonders why they wasted the tax payers’ money on frivolous trips”.
Doctor Odotte of Pennsylvania said the IEBC never demonstrated due diligence in ensuring that Diaspora voting took place. “They never carried out any expert analysis or studies on what the logistical or administrative obstacles were likely to be because they knew exactly what they were doing”. He said.
Odotte however took issue with what he termed as ‘chronic passiveness’ from people in Diaspora. “I am surprised at the belated outrage from Kenyans abroad now that the gavel has come down on their right to vote. Where were they when petitions that needed to be signed were being circulated” He asked.
Alafu IEBC says this today.
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/IEBC-to-make-final-decision-on-Diaspora-voting/-/1064/1631056/-/wqa8wo/-/index.html
And we’re saying this:
https://www.kenyansabroadvote.com/voterEligibility . With a million voices, we can move mountains.
Kenyans in Diaspora miss out on 2013 poll
By CAROLINE WAFULA cwafula@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Tuesday, November 27 2012 at 17:27
Kenyans in the Diaspora will not vote in the next General Election.
The bombshell was delivered to Parliament Tuesday by Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa, who told MPs the decision was reached at last week’s Cabinet meeting.
It followed consideration of the preparedness of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to handle the massive exercise of registration of voters locally and abroad, he said.
The government cites logistical, financial and time constraints as the main reason for the setback.
“It is therefore not practical to have them take part now,” the minister said.
Already, Parliament has passed rules to guide the registration of voters in the Diaspora. The official number of Kenyans in the Diaspora registered with the various Kenyan Embassies stands at 130,000.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, puts the estimated number of Kenyans in foreign countries at 700,000.
In a statement that caught MPs unawares, the minister said it was not practical to have the population in the Diaspora exercise the voting right as enshrined in the Constitution.
The government decision, the minister said, is based on a landmark ruling by the High Court on November 15 that found that though the right is guaranteed constitutionally, it was not absolute and cannot be realised instantaneously but progressively.
Many Kenyans in the Diaspora were looking forward to registering as voters to participate in the March 4, 2013 General Election.
Kenyans in Diaspora miss out on 2013 poll
People queue to cast their ballots during past elections. Kenyans in the Diaspora will not vote in the next General Election, Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa told Parliament November 27, 2012 NATION MEDIA GROUP
By CAROLINE WAFULA cwafula@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Tuesday, November 27 2012 at 17:27
Kenyans in the Diaspora will not vote in the next General Election.
The bombshell was delivered to Parliament Tuesday by Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa, who told MPs the decision was reached at last week’s Cabinet meeting.
It followed consideration of the preparedness of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to handle the massive exercise of registration of voters locally and abroad, he said.
The government cites logistical, financial and time constraints as the main reason for the setback.
“It is therefore not practical to have them take part now,” the minister said.
Already, Parliament has passed rules to guide the registration of voters in the Diaspora. The official number of Kenyans in the Diaspora registered with the various Kenyan Embassies stands at 130,000.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, puts the estimated number of Kenyans in foreign countries at 700,000.
In a statement that caught MPs unawares, the minister said it was not practical to have the population in the Diaspora exercise the voting right as enshrined in the Constitution.
The government decision, the minister said, is based on a landmark ruling by the High Court on November 15 that found that though the right is guaranteed constitutionally, it was not absolute and cannot be realised instantaneously but progressively.
Many Kenyans in the Diaspora were looking forward to registering as voters to participate in the March 4, 2013 General Election.
The government, however, considered that their right to vote will not be realised immediately, citing challenges facing the IEBC.
“Why it was belated is because we were trying everything to empower IEBC, supporting them fully and holding their hands in every way, but for now what they have on their table is already too much,” the minister said.
The Cabinet considered several options possible, including starting with some blocs such as the East African Community, the IGAD or the European Union community.
2017 General Election
It, however, resolved to give the electoral commission more time to make necessary preparations to have them vote in the 2017 General Election.
“It is just a question of practicability of the exercise with the time left. Can we really expect them to carry out a registration exercise for eligible Kenyan voters all over the world,?” he posed.
“It is a question that needs proper preparation, let us get our house in order, let us prepare adequately to avoid a repeat of the 2007/2008 experience. There will be progress that will be made until they are able to participate,” he stated.
The move will dampen spirits given that the community abroad has been assured time and again that it will be able to participate in the elections.
@@@@
Kenyans in diaspora locked out of March poll
By EDWIN MUTAI
Posted Tuesday, November 27 2012 at 18:57
In Summary
The government decided that it will be impossible for Kenyans living abroad to vote owing to challenges facing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
Time and logistical constraints will not allow IEBC to register Kenyans in the diaspora.
Kenyans in the diaspora will not vote in the March 4 General Election, the Cabinet decided last Thursday.
Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Eugene Wamalwa said the government decided that it will be impossible for Kenyans living abroad to vote owing to challenges facing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
Mr Wamalwa said time and logistical constraints will not allow IEBC to register Kenyans in the diaspora.
“I will be the bearer unfortunately of bad news this afternoon. It is impossible for those outside Kenya to vote in 2013 elections. The government decided that IEBC be given enough time to make preparation for Kenyans in the diaspora to vote in 2017,” he said.
Kenya will have to conduct a census first to establish the exact number of Kenyans in the diaspora. An estimated three million Kenyans live abroad, but government figures show only 130,000 registered Kenyans.
“The challenge is that many of those who leave the country do not register with 52 embassies and high commissions where they are,” the minister said.
Maji_Baridi•a day ago
I somehow saw it coming when the ambassador recently stated that he didn’t know what was going on back home. Oh well, so much for reforms. Knowing Kenya politics, nothing’s gonna change in 5 years. Mdomo tupu.
tim tim•a day ago
Very sad indeed
Voter Registration Kicks Off Today
Monday, 19 November 2012 06:09
If you want to take part in a ballot and decide who shall manage Kenya at various levels as well as direction country should take in the post-Kibaki era, your chance to register has come.
For a country bruised and torn apart by the 2007 discredited elections, and without a voters’ register, this is a momentous occasion as a new one is rebuilt over the next 30 days.
Even sweeter to the ear this time around, despite the logistical challenges of getting it running, Kenyans will register using the more secure and tamper-proof Biometric Voter Register (BVR) kit
The election itself will be a unique experience for Kenyans given that it will entail six elections in one for President, Members of Parliament for 290 constituencies, Governors and Senators for 47 Counties, County Assembly Representatives and Women Representatives.
IEBC on Sunday announced that all the logistical plans are in place and about 30,000 clerks trained on the use of the BVR kits are ready to begin electronic voter registration.
Voter registration starts on Monday at close to 25,000 polling centers across the country.
On Monday President Kibaki, who is preparing to hand over power after the March 4 General Election next year, launches the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s (IEBC) countrywide voter registration exercise at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi amid protests by Kenyans in the diaspora that they have not been briefed on the exercise.
The electoral commission suspended registration plans in the diaspora last month to establish the number of Kenyans living abroad who are eligible to vote and also await a court ruling on a case filed against the exercise.
On Sunday, Commissioner Yusuf Nzibo, who is in charge of the diaspora vote, said that the case, which was filed by some Kenyans in the diaspora, had disrupted the commission’s plans for voter registration abroad.
“We had to stop the plans, but we will meet on Tuesday or Wednesday to announce a new date for registration in the diaspora,” Dr Nzibo said.
Dr Nzibo noted that there was confusion over the actual number of Kenyans living abroad.
“We have already set aside 140 BVR kits. When we meet the Foreign Affairs officials we will then conclude on the plans and probably make an announcement regarding this matter,” he said.
However, he said the commission had advertised for returning officers and electoral clerks for the exercise that is estimated to cost Sh150 million.
The commission plans to register at least 18 million voters, with some saying the figure could rise to 22.5 million. The 30-day exercise is expected to end on December 16, followed by 15 days of voter register verification.
On Sunday, there were concerns that the IEBC was yet to update Kenyan embassies on the listing progress.
For instance, the Kenyan Embassy in Washington, DC, said in a statement that it was awaiting direction from the IEBC. “I am concerned that Kenya’s largest diaspora may very well miss out on this historic event,” said ambassador Elkana Odembo on Saturday.
IEBC chairman Issack Hassan said early this month that Kenyans in the US will register at the embassy in Washington DC, the United Nations mission in New York and the consulate in Los Angeles.
The same venues are also expected to serve as polling stations during the elections.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should expedite sharing of relevant information with the commission to enable finalisation of logistical details for the diaspora registration,” Mr Hassan said.
Last week, High Court judge David Majanja dismissed a case filed by some diaspora voters and ruled that the IEBC was complying with the law allowing “progressive realisation” of the right to vote by Kenyans abroad.
The registration will take place in 47 missions and consulates and the Foreign Affairs Ministry is to nominate some embassy officials who will also assist in the registration.
WITH only 100 days to go before the next general elections are held on March 4, 2013 ignals of discontent and violent political wrangling seemed to be emerging from most parts of Luo-Nyanza,the worse being within the two counties of Kisumu and Homa-Bay.
In Nyando district within Kisumu County, the police were reported to be actively investigating the cause of death of a man whose body was fished out of the thicket after he was allegedly assaulted by the youth supporting the rival political camp after he was alleged to have tried to disrupt a campaign rally in the area by heckling the speakers, which sparked off the fist fighting.
The deceased whose name was given as Omuoyo from Kanyilum sub-clan within Wawidhi B area of South East Kano is said to have bee involved in fracas with supporters of the area MP Fred Outa. The youths are said to have set themselves upon the deceased with crude weapons.
The area MP Fred Outa is among the leaders aid to have spent several hours recording statements with the police with the police following the incident.
In the neighboring Nyakach also within Kisumu County, scores of people sustained minor bodily injuries following the outbreak of fighting at the ODM Mashinani campaign rally held at Pap-Onditi Center in lower Nyakach.
The trouble was sparked off following the late arrival at the meeting venue by on of the aspirant for Nyakach parliamentary seat Aduma-Owuor a former senior legal 0fficer of the City Council of Nairobi.
This was accompanied by dozens of drunken youth. However, Aduma Owuor was ushered in and given a seat at the dais as one of the aspirants. But his youth were not lucky to be accorded similar treatment by the conveners of the rally. The youth tried to force their way into the venue thereby st8iring up the commotion as the made an attempt to disrupt the sitting arrangement which had been made earlier.
This what sparked off the commotion and protest by the ODM youth manning the meeting, and controlling the crowd. At this juncture the fighting broke out wit plastic chairs flying out in all direction. The combatants also used other missiles and objects sending the participants scampering or their dear lives. One civic leader Omdi Ouko was beaten up to the ground.
Peace was temporarily restored, but no sooner did another aspirant for the Nyakach parliamentary aspirant Eng.Evans Kodera arrived in the company of shouting youths. They two were roughed by the ODM youths, most of them beaten to the ground.
Several candidate aspiring for the various elective positions with the County governance attended the meeting among them Aloys Ager who is contesting the Sigoti County Ward, Grace A. Akumu {parliament}, Ms Ruth Adhiambo Odinga {governor}, Dr Barrack Abonyo from the US {governor} Ojwang’K’Ombudo{governor].
Meanwhile several politicians in Homa-Bay have bitterly complained about the slow path it taking the police Rachuonyo South district to apprehend the suspects criminal who are supposed to be facing serious criminal charges of causing grievous harm related to violent assault incident which occurred in the lakeside town awe ago following the violent disruption of ODM Mashinani held there two weeks ago.
The police in Oyugis have yet to apprehend any of the suspects despite of a requesting letters from their Homa-Bay counter parts who have recorded statements from the complainants and potential prosecution witnesses in the serious criminal cases pending there.
The two suspects who are believed to have used the sharpened knives in stabbing several people during the fracas Homa-Bay are said to be still roaming freely in Oyugis town and its environs.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
President Mwai Kibaki has announced that the government will soon elevate 13 constituent university colleges into fully fledged public universities.
The move will see the number of fully fledged public universities in the country moving up from the current 7 to 20.
Speaking during the award of charter to Great Lakes University of Kisumu president Kibaki said the government was intensifying efforts aimed at enhancing access ,equity and relevance in higher education. He said the award of the charter was significant the university which became the 15th private university in the country to have attained full accreditation status.
The president who was accompanied by the minister for higher learning prof.Margaret Kamar and two other ministers from the Orange Democratic Movement ODM said the increased production of high quality and relevant human capital in the country will enable it to participate more effectively in the rapidly globalizing and increasingly knowledge based world.
” In response to development needs as captured by both our vision 2030 and the Kenyan constitution ,some of these universities will be dedicated to science and technology education and training” said president Kibaki.
Prof. Kamar who spoke before the president said many Kenyans qualifying to join universities were being denied access due to limited number of university places that the current 7 public universities can absorb through the joint admission board that select students joining public universities in the country.
She said out of the 400,000 students who sat Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in the year 2011 a total of 114,236 students qualified after they obtained mean grade of C+ being the minimum university admission requirement but only 41,879 students were admitted to the public universities through Joint Admission Board (JAB).
” It is disheartening that a total of 76,377 students who got the mean grade were not absorbed.This is why there is great need for government to work towards expanding access to meet the growing need of getting university education” she said.
The minister however called upon the existing institutions of higher learning to ensure quality, relevance and equity in terms of choice and delivery of their programs is maintained.
” Our universities must ensure those who graduate from their institutions are acceptable globally and are able to compete at par with those from the rest of the world” She added.
Public service minister Masada Otieno who represented the Prime Minister Raila Odinga at the event asked the universities and faith based institutions to help rid the country of ethnicity which he claimed was the biggest problem the country was facing.
” The issue of ethnicity is deeply rooted in our nation and its high time our universities and churches combined forces to rid this nation of the pandemic. Matters have not been helped by the fact that many people are educated. We still think as tribes first and not Kenyans.”Said the minister.
Renowned scholar prof David Wasawo was installed as the first Chancellor of the Great lakes University university of Kisumu (GLUK) which was initially known Tropical Institute for Health and Community Development when it began in 1998. Prof Dan Kaseje was also installed the university’s Vice Chancellor in a ceremony presided over also by the chairman of the university board of trustees Bishop Wayi Abiero of Maseno Anglican Church Of Kenya Maseno Diocese.
Cabinet Minister James Orengo (Lands) and assistant minister Prof Ayiecho Olweny (Higher Education) and members of parliament Ocheing’ Polyns (Nyakach) and Shakil Shabir ( Kisumu Town East )attended the ceremony which was also graced by several dignitaries and top academicians.
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