THE POLITICIANS WHO HAD LAUNCHED HIGH PROFILE CAMPAIGN FOR THE VARIOUS ELECTIVE SEATS INSIDE LUO-NYANZA UNDER THE NEW CONSTITUTION HAVE BURNT THEIR FINGERS AND DISAPPEARED.

Reports Leo Odera Omolo

When President Mwai Kibaki promulgated the new constitution on 4th August 2010 many politicians in Luo-Nyanza immediately rushed into premature campaign for most of the elective positions.

Many declared their intention to contest this or that seat under the new County governance. The seats which attracted many were those of County representatives to the Senate, County governors and deputy governors.

The politicians show an opening of many big jobs under the constitutional dispensation and rushed into premature campaign. Other visited the rural areas flying in hired helicopters, other came using fuel guzzling four wheel drive cars hired from car hire companies in Nairobi and Kisumu.

The high profile campaign hit the ground in Luoland with thuds. These aspirants were everywhere, attending funeral gathering, offering niceties to the youths and women folks. Other had gone as far as forming local football clubs, buying trophies and uniforms for teams to popularize their campaigns. Other bribed musicians with fat cash money, or hired live performing orchestra jazz bands and the popular Ohangla musician to compose sweets songs in their praise hoping to attract large following in rural areas.

In fact the Luo-Nyanza had been turned into the election mood. Aspirants showed off their financial might, dishing out money to the youths and women folk in the form of handout. It as if the election would be held before the end of this year.

Some of the would – be aspirants for the various seats even hired helicopters, which flown them into the villages in some remote parts of the region.

But all these premature campaign have since turned into hot-air. Most of the would be aspirant, we are told have burnt their fingers to an extent that they no longer having any money left in their pockets even for visit their own rural homes to attend funerals of the dead relatives and friends.

Majority of them are said to have gone as far as changing their phones numbers to avoid their supporters and followers back at home, and are said to have taken refuge in the city of Nairobi not to be heard of seen back in their rural homes.

Another crucial subject, which has sent many would – be aspirant packing is the recently announcement by the CIC that those seeking to be elected to the lucrative and covenant position of County governors must be armed with university degrees from recognised universities as prerequisite for one to be elected as a County governor.

This seems to have knocked out some of the aspirants, the majority who are said to be only armed with fake degrees.

The former Nyanza Province has four counties under the new constitution, namely Siaya, Kisumu, Homa-Bay and Migori. But only in Homa-Bay County, where many politicians had launched high profile campaigns, though prematurely. They scrambled for the positions of governors, senators, deputy governors with another relatively higher number of them seeking to unseat the current Luo MPs.

At the same time, some of those sitting were rumored to be switching to Senate instead of defending their seats at the next polls. But so far none has come forward and declared that he would contest the Senate seat.

The Immigration Minister Gerald Otieno Kajwang’ was among those rumoured to have decided to contest the Senate seat instead of defending his Mnbita parliamentary seat, but Kajwang’ strongly refuted the allegation and came out gun blasting the rumour – – insisting that he would defend his Mbita seat.

Another legislator who had declared that he would switch from Parliament to the position of governor is Ranbgwe MP Geoge Otieno Ogindo,But the information on the ground seem to favor his arch-rival Enbg. Phillip Okoth Okundiwhom he had trounced in 2007.

Among those aspirants seeking new positions, who seemed to be still going strong, is Okundi who is contesting the Homa-Bay governor’s position. Okundi is facing the former Marie Stoppied Country Director, Cyprianb Otieno Awiti, who had launched his campaign on high noire last year, but who has since slowed down, and never to be heard of again. The other credible aspirant is dr. Mark Matunga, who is also contesting the same governor’s seat. It is only Matunga and Okundi who are still reported to be active.

In the neighboring Migori County, the potential candidates for the Senate and Governors seats seemed to have withdrawn from the race, or like elsewher3e have burned their finger and found the going rather tough. With new and popular culture of “Gonywa” {loosely meaning paytus} some of the would – be aspirants for these seats have found the going so hard due to high demand for money.
One man, however, is said to be still in the race. He is the past two time MP for the old larger Homa-Bay constituency Phares Oluoch Kanindo who although is said not to be so liquid, has been seen attending nearly all funeral gathering as far field as Karungu and kadem in Nyatike in search of votes and support.

Miori County Senate seat represent Nyatike, Rongo, Uriri, Migori, Kuria as well as the newly created Awendo seat. Another aspirant for the same seat is Cjhacha Ogwe a former Nairobi PEO.

Also rumored to be interested in the Migori Senate seat is the Minister for Public Service Dalmas Otieno, who is the current Rongo MOP. But Otieno has yet to declare his stand.

With sub-division of Rongo and the creation of Awendo parliamentary seat, Otieno appear to be safe in his old Rongo because his arch-rival also a former cabinet Minister George ochilo-Ayacko would now be contesting the Awendo seat easing out to put pressure on Otieno.

But still the Minister will have to square it with Joseph Ong’ondo Ng’ani, and other youthful aspirants while Ayackois to face it off with the populist youthful secondary school head teacher Jared Kopiyo the Principal of Gamba secondary School in Sakwa West.

Kisumu County, two aspirants of the Senate seat are said to be still going strong. They are Eng. Maxwell Otieno Odongo and the Naiobi based architect Ocholla Ogoda. The Minister for medical Services Prof. Anyang’Nyong’o is also said to be interested in contesting the Senate seat instead of defending his Kisumu Rureal seat, whch is also likely to be realigned to pave the way for the creation of Kisuu Town Wqest and Kisumu Town Central.

The position of Kisumu County Govrnor is said to have attracted the former Nyakach MP Peter Odoyo’m the former KRA senior official Jack Ranguma,a Kisumu businessman Walter Kitoto Adell. However, there could be more aspirants for this particular position, but the culture of “Gonywa” seemed to have scared away candidates from making premature announcement.

It is unusually quite on he Siaya side, with only former Gemn MP Joe Odonde being mentioned as interested in the position of Siaya County Governor. But George Weya, the immediate Mp for Alego-Usonga, had already confirmed to thi writer that he would contest the post of Siaya County Governor.

Other prominent names being mentioned in connection with the position of Siaya County governor is that of the Mombasa Town Clerk Tubman Otieno.

The Homa-Bay County Senate seat appeared to have attracted the least numbers of would be contestant. Hilary Ochieng Alila who had launched his campaign for the Senate seat in earnest is said to have slowed down. The former kasiula-Kabodo MP Oloo Otula who had also announced his intention of contesting the same position has gone underground not to be heard off again

What is, however, certain is that the ODM grass root election which are slated or May 27 would produce a shocking result to many established politicians. In Migori, the sitting MP are said to have already declared their lineup with the position of the party chairmanship being floated for a Mr Magaiywa from Kuria, a proposal which has met with the vehement opposition from a number of parliamentary aspirants in Uriri, Migori, Nyatike,Rongo and even Awendo..

MPs have no business telling us who to elect in what position. They should wait for the electorate to decide, retorted Martin Owiny a potential parliamentary candidate for Uriri. Owiny said the locals want to be left alone to elect men and women of their own choice, and should not be told as to who is to be given what position. Such kind of politics are long gone with the bonfire of the old constitution, said Owiny.

The MPs, he said must steer clear fro telling the party members as to who they should elect who is not. That kind of politics amounts to dictatorial tendency and must be discarded in modern Kenya.

The rumor making the round in some quarters is that those who had declared their candidature prematurely have run out of money. Owing to shortage of cash money most of them have switched off their phones

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