Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Mbita Town.

WHAT could have been a solemn and tearful sending off of a highly respected woman who had served her people diligently in her life time was turned into an ODM public rally and marred by heated confrontation between the dozens of aspirants for the various elective positions within the County, parliament and Senate.

This was during the burial last Sunday of the late Mrs Damaris Auma Odhimbo at Kolo village, Rusinga Island East Location, Mbita district. Mrs Odhiambo was the wife of a prominent politician the late Harrison Midiang’a Odhimbo Opiyo a former member of the defunct Nyanza Regional Assembly and prominent KANU leader in the larger South Nyanza district.

She was the mother of the ODM nominated MP Millie Odhiambo. The late Mrs Odhiambo who served for a long time as a social worker with the former County Council of the larger South Nyanza district, although she had earlier trained as a nurse at the Kendu SDA Mission Hospital {Gendia} as a nurse. She is survived by five daughters and three sons. One of her sons is a Nairobi lawyer Dan Odhiambo.

In attendance were dignitaries who include Mrs Ida Odinga, the wife of the Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the Immigration Minister Gerald Otieno Kajwang’ who was the political host and acted as the master of ceremony COTU {K} Secretary General Francis Atwoli, The Lanbds Minister James Aggrey Orengo,Assistant Ministers Beatrice Kones,Elizabeth Ongoro,MPS Eng James Rege {Karachuonyo}, Ababu Namwamba {Budalangi} Oyugi Maguwanga {Kasipul Kabondo}, Nominated MP Rachel Shebesh, Dr Joyce Laboso {Sotik}, Martin Ogindo (Rangwe},the CEO of the Kenya Literature Bureau Mrs Eve Obara, who is also the Maendeleo Ya Wanawake representative in Nyanza.

Also in attendance was the ODM Director of Elections Board Eng. Phillip Okundi, several aspirants for County governor Dr Mark Matunga, William Oloo Otula, .

Minister Otieno Kajwang’, however, was faulted for having failed to recognize the presence of a dozens of members of the Suba Council of Elders led by their chairman Apollo Okeyo Omuga. The group had travelled from distance places like Suna Migori, Nyatike, Mfangano, Lambwe Valley. The master of ceremony ignored local community leaders from Rusinga and Mfangano islands and instead spent time introducing some politically non-entities who turned out only for making sycophantic outbursts for the purpose of attracting hand outs from politicians and those who were described as “ bunch” of hero worshippers.”

In his brief, but moving address Atwoli pleaded with the politician to help him make achievements for the workers. He made it categorically clear that he would not contest any political office, but want to dedicate his energy and strength to the service of Kenyan workers, further saying that this would be his last mission and he would not seek for another term of office.

One of the leading contenders for the position of governor Dr Mark Matunga told his opponent for the same seat who were present and who included the former MP for Rangwe Eng.Phillip Okundi that they should expect a bruising battle for the seat, which he was sure for certain that he would beat them all at the polls with comfortable majority of votes.

Another aspirant Opiata Odero who is a close relative of the Odhiambos and a resident of Rusinga island only made a traditional war-cry and sat down amid prolonged laughter made a war cry and sat down.

Prior to the funeral ceremony, there was evidence of jostling for power as to who is suitable to contest the Mbita seat in the next general election as Otieno Kajwang’ his decided to move a high notch to contest the Homa-Bay Senate seat. The strong jostling was between the supporters and relatives of the two local politicians Millie Odhimbo and Phares Ogweno Ratego an executive with an NGO in Nairobi who has declared his interest in contesting the same seat.

Millie Odhiambo and Ratego hails from one village called {Kolo} and have close blood relationship while their homes are situated only 100 yards apart, and the jostling almost marred the funeral ceremony, but the situation was saved when Ratego steered clear of making any speech at the tension parked funeral ceremony. Supporters of Ratego insisted that Millie Odhiambo is married to a Zimbabwean husband therefore she is a foreigner in Mbita and that Zimbabwe is her home turf and that even in Zimbabwe there is also a parliament and she should go and contest for a seat in Zimbabwe Parliament instead of Mbita. Due to tension that prevailed, Rtego was prevailed upon by elders to keep away from making any speech at the gathering which he obeyed, though he was present.

In her summary of the event, Millie Odhambo who was full of uncalled fore self-glorification styling herself as “Amillo Geza Geza Nyar Rusinga” heaped a lot of praise to a Nairobi businessman Sammy Wakiaga who he said had contributed immensely towards her mother’s funeral expenses and thanked him whole heatedly.

Wakiaga got another showering praise from Obilo Opiyo the brother of Odhiambo Opiyo and brother in-law of deceased who said the Nairobi businessman had donated to him as a person Kshs 30,000 to assist him take care of hundreds of guests and funeral attendance and expressed the family gratitude.

The Lands Minister James Orengo told the mourners that it was time for President Mwai Kibaki to endorse the candidature of Raila Odinga as his successor the same way Ral had endorsed him in 2002. The late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, said the Minister had also endorsed President Kenyatta’s leadership in the early 1961, it was therefore as a good gesture of appreciation of the Kikuyu his time to keep the field open for Raila’s presidential bid.

The Minister said that as far as political situation I the country stands today, if Kibaki endorses Raila for the presidency, the country would be peaceful and the transition would be very smooth. Kibaki has already declared that he will not endorse anybody for the next presidency, but Orengo argued that this would not augur well with his legacy of ten years presidency, smooth.

Former Information Minister Raphael Tuju who has declared his bid for the presidency came under scathing criticism. Orengo said Tuju is heading for a failure and will not make it to anywhere. “If I personally failed to tame Raila when I stood for the presidency in 2002 against him, I expect Tuju to perform much poorly..

Some former and present civic leaders in South Nyanza, who of lately have become politician for hire, attacked Tuju saying he had been sent to spoil the field for “Agwambo” but their utterances carried no weight and were ignored as they are known to have perfected in the art of political sycophancy ready to be hired by anyone with money to go and vilify his opponents.

They argued that according to Luo tradition virtue and cultural value, a woman is not suppose to go to a front line in a war.-in her home of birth because she transformed by the virtue of her marital status to be a foreigner and an outsider.

Mrs Odhiambo funeral attracted thousands of grim faced mourners who included members of her family from Kanyada Kanyabala near Homa-Bay the family of her husband, friends and relatives

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