Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu
The race for the elective position of Kisumu County governor has kicked off in earnest with all the aspirants making intensive tour of the entire region and pitching camps in Kisumu City.
The campaign for this position which has attracted high profile aspirants including a University don has promised to be one of the toughest election battle ever witnessed in the region in recent past.
If the ugly head of clan politics is raised up, the political likely scenario is that the possibility of the election pitting clans against their neighbors can not be ruled out. Already there are more than two aspirants contesting the same position, but who hail from one clan.
The people of Kano Plains have already posted three aspirants for the same job. They are Dr Barack Abonyo, the former KRA tax official Jack Ranguma and a Nairobi based businessman Simon Ogendo, Peter Odhengo, all the four came from the Jo-Kano community, the largest in Kisumu County. Nobody has declared interest in this position from Seme and Kajulu Locations and, Muhoroni constituency another dominant sub-clan.
In a brief message to the electorate posted in his website Dr. Abonyo says, “Through compassionate leadership, our mission is to ensure that empower the people of Kisumu County by with well calculated and selected mechanism to enable them to live better life by reducing the scourge of abject poverty.”
Peter Ochieng’ Odoyo the former Nyakach MP who atone time was an Assistant Minister and Education respectively during the short lived KANU-LDP merger.
Reports emerging from Nyakach say Odoyo popularity has waned drastically ever since he was trounced from his parliamentary seat by the wealthy businessman-cum-politician Plyins Ochieng’ Daima in 2007. It will be an up-hill task for Odoyo to regain his lost popularity, and for this will have to struck good rapport with other leaders in Nyakach. But Nyakach, people, however, are well known for their traditional attitude of solidarity and unity of purpose could easily come together and vote for Odoyo as a bloc. This scenario could tilt the balance o voting strength taking into account tat the Kano people have more than three aspirants in the race.
The men and women whose campaign has already hit the ground included the Mumias Sugar Company Marketing and Sales Manager Peter Hongo who hails from Kogony sub-clan of the larger Jo-Kisumo. In the absence of any credible challenger from home backyard of Kisumo community Hongo seemed to be a better bait for the lucrative governor position. It will also depended how he gets along with the cosmopolitan residents of the vote rich Kisumu City and its environs, which included the populous Nyalenda, Kibute, Kondele, Obunga, Mosque, Okore, Railways quarters and Manyatta Arabs.
Other aspirant include the former top KRA head of internal taxation Jack Ranguma, who is an accountant by profession and who at one time was a joint receiver manager Githongo and Associates firm of Accountants at Muhoroni Sugar Company. He hail from Kano-Kobura sub-clan which is politically falling under Nyando constituency, while administratively is under Kisumu Town East district. Ranguma’s influence and strength could not be assessed immediately; because he lives in Nairobi most of them time and rarely come home.
Raila Odinga’s younger sister Ruth Adhiambo Odinga, who is the current managing director of the Otonglo based multibillion shillings Kisumu Molasses Plant, which is currently owned and managed by the Odinga’s family business flagship The Spectre International is also reported to be eyeing for the same governorship an idea which is not well received by the majority of resident of this County.
The common and popular gossips going on is that Ruth Odinga candidature would portray the Odingas as greedy family which is demanding for too much from the Luo voters. Some of the voters have been heard commenting that they cannot vote for Raila’s presidential ambition and at the same time vote for his sister to become the governor of Kisumu County. Moreover she is considered as an outsider in the County and a resident of Siaya County where the family lives.
The reasoning, of those who are vehemently opposed to Adhiambo’s candidature for Kisumu governorship, is that it would means that the Odinga have no slightest iota of respect for members of other communities and lacked the heart of reciprocation for what the Luo community has done to the family. “Why should they consider themselves to be so special people blessed with the power of marginalizing the Luo? Asked a local civic leader who requested for his anonymity.”
One local politician came out bold and remarked, “If Rail is a true nationalist and true reformist as he is, he should prevail upon his family member to stop thinking all Luos are fools and claiming leadership in every place. Already we have one of the Odingas as a Municipal Councilor representing Milimani Ward and that should be enough. “The rest should go back to their Bondo home and Siaya County and seek for political leadership there.” The resident of Kisumu County need a breathing space to exercise our democratic rights of electing our own political leaders and will not entertain any more of those leaders who are imposed on us.”
From the above comments, it is now clear that Ruth Odinga’s candidature in Kisumu County could impact negatively in Raila’s votes because of the dissenting views held by voters that the family is out to dominate the Luos by denying them their democratic and constitutional rights to leadership within their localities
The other aspirant or the same position is the youthful Nairobi based insurance executive Simon Ogendo who hails from Kolwa, within the larger Jo-Kano clan. He is the son of the former Kisumu Mayor Ogendo Von Ponge whose leadership quality is still yet to be known. Ogendo needs to do a lot of publicity and public relations work in order to sell his policy to the electorate in the whole of the Kisumu County. And so is Dr. Barack Abonyo who has posted the most colorful and elaborate message in his website; ww.barackabonyforgovernor.com
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