Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Migori Town.

DISCONTENT is mounting in Migori County among the ODM members and leaders following the rumor and allegation that a cabinet Minister is routing for the County Senate seat to be exclusively preserved for the Kuria minority community.

That would be a mockery to democracy. All the positions must be contested since the new constitution has already the true democratic space,Kenyans must now shun the old and outmoded KANU tactics.

Migori County is a region of multi-ethnic society if a particular seat is reserved for the kuria.How aboutthe Suba, Kisiis, Somalis, Luhya and other coomunities?

In the same context the Minister and his supporters are said to have divided the Migori County position of governance that the Kuria settled ion the County’s Senate representative, while the Luo go for the lucrative position of the County governor.

Two Kuria districts, namely Kuria East and Kuria West will have to produce candidates who will be vying for positions against aspirants from the majority Luo community with four parliamentary constituencies, namely Nyatike, Migori, Uriri and Rongo whereas two Kuria district has only one constituency.

The rumor making the round is pointing an accusing finger at the Public Service Minister Dalmas Otieno as the on who is routing for the County seat to be preserved for the Kurias, and that the Minister had someone in mind who should be voted into represent Migori in the Senate,

The name being mentioned in connection to this plan which the ODM members and leaders are vehemently opposed to is that of the former Kuria MP Eng Shadrack Manga and as such to preserve a County elective post in an ODM stronghold would mean surrendering Migori County Senate seat to the PNU and its G7 alliance.

Manga is a staunch KANU member and hold the party branch office in Kuria as well as holding a national office at the party headquarter has never crossed over to ODM. It is further rumored that Manga plan to ditch KANU in the near future purposely to contest the Senate election.

The proponents of this plan of apportioning County governance position proportionately between the Luos and the Kuria argues that this was the only way of luring the Kuria to vote for the Prime Minister Raia Odinga’s presidential bid in 2012.

Those to the idea says Raila Odinga is capable of winning more votes in Kuria even without Manga and that there are ODM leaders on the ground in Kuria who have sacrificed their rime, energy and resources for the party who might feel betrayed in such a political scenario.

MIGORI County Senate seat has already attracted three aspirants, two of them former MPs and one a lady is an executive with the NGO. Those who have already shown keen interests in contesting the seat include the one time two times MP for the larger Homa-Bay constituency Phares Oluoch Kanindo, former Mathare MP Ochieng’ Mbeo and Prof. Colleta Shuda an executive with an NGO, She hails from within Migori town. Also rumored as interested in the same seat is the former Ndhiwa MP Zablon Owigo Olang, and the immediate former Nyatike MP Ocholla Ogur, but the two have yet to make their intention known publicly.

Dalmas Otieno could not be reached immediately for clarification of the issue which has mentioned him adversely. A call placed through his mobile phone went unanswered.

But sources close to the Minister have confided to this writer that he would defend his Rongo parliamentary seat.

It is further being rumored that after successfully retaining his seat in 2012, the Minister has envisaged a plan “B” which says among other thing intent to relinquish his parliament seat soon after the next general in the event of ODM winning the election and forming the next government in which he intend to seek for the plum government top most position of the Head of Civil Service and the Secretary to the Cabinet.

Another burning issue within Migori County is the claim hat some aspirants for the lucrative position of County governor have gone over drive maligning the names of their perceive popular opponents for the same post in order to gain political mileage

The most vilified and maligned is the man whose candidature has sent shock waves to the spinal cord of his rivals for the governorship position is Prof.Edward Akong’o Oyugi a well known political personality and a well known political associate of the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.

PROF Oyugi spent several years in the former President Moi jails and detention camps, and at one time was detained together with the Prime Minister Raila Odinga during the early part of the agitation and clamor for multiparty system of government.

The aggressive and abrasive Professor of Psychology made an announcement two weeks ago while visiting his Suna West Location, Suba West Division rural home that he would contest for the Migori governor position.

A number of his would be opponent seemed to have panicked a great deal fearing that because of his long standing with the Odingas and personal friendship with Raila Odinga, the Professor would get undeserved favoritism from the party headquarter which would give him an advantage and head-start over his rivals.,.

One or two of the aspirants immediately launched deadly rumor to the effect that the Professor had claimed that he had been sent to contest the seat by Raila Odinga – – a dreadful pack of lies, which those who were present at the launching of the Professor’s campaign for the Migori Senate seat have denounced unreservedly.

The common popular views in Migori and its environs is that Prof.Akong’o Oyugi is a man of substantial academic and economic means who is capable to contest any elective seat on his own with out relying on anyone. He has sacrificed much of his valuable time, loss of jobs and family, in the struggles for the law reform, democratic space in this country and as such deserves to be considered for a legislative elective position.

This dreadful rumor has since provoked ODM leaders in the region to issue a stern warning to all the aspirants vying or various elective position to stop maligning their opponents.

ODM leaders in Migori have warned that any aspirant found to be hell-bent in maligning his perceived rival could face the party wrath. The disciplinary action could be so severe, which could end up in disqualification of such rumor-mongers from contesting any seat on the party ticket.

Contacted by this writer by phone last night Prof Akong’o Oyugi categorically denied having made such remark as telling anyone that he had been sent by his long time friend Ra Odinga to contest a public office. Kenya is a democratic country and anybody is free to stand and contest “any pubic office.

“These false claims are therefore the fertile imagination of my rivals who seemed to have panicked a great deal on upon hearing that I have joined the ace for Migori governorship owing to my high profile and credibility,”

Ends