News Analysis By Bob Ndira-Uradi in Homa-Bay Town

His campaign for the various elective positions within the County governance and parliamentary seats has began in earnest in the Homa-Bay County.

The political temperature has been raised following the recent emergence of a group, which has self-styled itself as the “dot.com” whose campaign is said to have hit the ground with the thud like thunderbolt.

The “dot.com” group’s aims and objectives is to sideline all the seasoned and established politicians in the region and replace them with youthful aspirants in all elective positions fro the Senate, Parliament to the County representatives.

The ODM headquarters has yet to come out clean to clarify whether this so called “dot.com” group has its blessing or it just a simple project of an individual.

Silent but highly intriguing scheming by various camps within the ODM and scrambling for close to 700,000 votes has kicked off in high note with claims that some aspirants are being funded by outsiders perceived to be political enemies of the party and its leadership.

The “dot.com” group which is coalescing around the Mbita MP Gerald Otieno Kajwang’ who recently won the ODM Homa-Bay County chairmanship during the much flawed party grass root elections only by consensus and not by popular votes is blamed for the unfolding dirty political maneuvers aimed at sidelining certain targeted individuals

The group is said to be comprising of the ODM renegade youths, hirelings, discredited power brokers political turn-coats and mercenaries for hire who can jump onto any bandwagon to campaign for the purpose of attracting cheap cash handouts from candidates. But people with no following or any grass root supports inside the villages and locations where they lived..

Kajwang’ who is also the Immigration and Registration o Persons is reported to be fronting for one young woman who recently graduated fresh from university for the position of women Senate representative , a move that is vehemently opposed by the majority of the electorate in all the six parliamentary constituencies

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The group is said to be loaded with unlimited funds, which the pundits and observers believes, are not sourced from the ODM party headquarters. But allegedly from unknown and highly intriguing sources of supply which is said to be rather remained mysterious.

The region is currently represented in Parliament by six MPs, representing Gwassi, Mbita, Ndhiwa, Rangwe, Karachuonyo and Kasipul-Kabondo.but the region has received two additional parliament seats as per the recommendation if the Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission {IEBC}.The new extra seat will be in Kasipul-Kabondo and Homa-Bay town.

The woman whose election campaign has sent shockwaves to many season politicians in the region is known by name as Mrs Gladys Wanga . She hails from Kochia West and reportedly working with an NGO in Nairobi. The electorate however, are questioning her background what she has been doing for the people of the region in relations to development to justify he claims to leadership position. In the absence of such explanation, Mrs Wanga will have an uphill task explaining her track record in the region.

However, those have had the opportunity of meeting her consider her as one of the many green horns as far as Homa-Bay politics are concerned. She will need a lot of coaching before her candidature is taken serious by the electorate.

Moreover she is originally from Seme Location in Kisumu West district, but only recently got married to a man who is a resident of Kochia West in the old Rangwe constituency. Her candidature is also suspected to have something to do with alleged plot to derail the Eng.Okundi’s bid for the Homa-Bay County governorship. Both Okundi and Wanga hail from Kochia West within the old Rangwe.

Okundi, however, has the most illustrious track record in term of development activities in the entire Rangwe constituency following his five years representation in Parliament between 2002 and 2007. In addition to this, the former Rangwe MP has what it takes to be considered as credible wealth of experience in public administration and management, having served as the Deputy Managing Director of the former vast Kenya Posts and telecommunications, the managing Director of the Kenya Ports Authority, and in the same position at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation and finally at the helm of the Kenya Bureau of the Standards..

The most intriguing aspect of her candidature is unconfirmed rumors making the round that she is enjoying the patronage and backing of the Immigration and Registration of Persons Minister Otieno Kajwang’, Kasipul-Kabondo MP Joseph Ouma Maguwanga, the ODM Regional Coordinator in Nyanza Mrs Monica Amolo from Ndhiwa, and one individual personality who is a former political ally of the immediate former Rangwe MP Eng Philip Okoth Okundi, Mr Agutu Jakorayo and one women leader in Kabondo Mrs Benta Dwassi.

Wanga ‘s candidature came in the wake of the popular views held by many residents that the position women Senate representative Senate should filled by the highly respected the retired top educationist Mrs Roselyn Onyuka from Kasipul-Kabondo, who is also the former Nyanza PDE and later the Director o Secondary Education in the Ministry of Education.

Mrs Onyuka has the highest profile and proved leadership quality. She has served briefly after her retirement as the TSC member and only retired last year.

Both Mrs Onyuka and Otieno Kajwang’ were born in Mbita constituency .She is the daughter of the late Senior Chief Damianius Ajwang’ of Gembe location. Her home is just four kilometers across the River Lambwe from to that of Waondo home of Kajwang’ and the rumor making the round, however, have it that the two had some old grudges as result of some old family feuds therefore the Minister will be much happier if the Senate Women seat goes to someone else.

The popular views are that owing to the fact that she hails next to Kajwang’ home turf it would not look fair to other communities when they will be asked to cast their votes for a man and a woman aspirants from one place.

Mrs Onyuka who served in the region heading several girls secondary school before she was promoted to be the Nyanza PDE the position which she served diligently for well over ten years is known as an “achiever” with colorful track record of development and efficient service t the Wananchi.

Another credible contender for the same seat is Ms Millie Odhiambo, the nominated MP who had earlier shown interest in Mbita parliamentary seat, but who is reported to have changed her mind following pressure from her cousin Phares Ogweno Ratego who is vying for Mbita parliamentary seat and who is said to have mounted one the most effective campaign ever seen in the area.

The “dot.com” group is said to be comprised of ODM renegade youths, hirelings, political turn-coats discredited power-brokers and mercenaries like political operatives well known for their lust for money in the region, and who could jump onto the bandwagon of any group with the loaded kitty. But whose impact in term of popularity and influence among the electorate is said to be reading zero.

The group recently hit the ground and traversed the full length and width of the region reaching far flung places like Mfangano and Rusinga islands while distributing calendars with the portrait of Mrs Wanga. The calendars were also distributed in Rangwe,Karachuonyo and Kasipul-Kabondo.

Insiders have informed this writer that the “dot.com” aim and objective is to scuttle the candidature o Eng. Philip Okoth Okundi who is currently on the lead in his bid to become the first governor of Homa-Bay County. The group has been telling the electorate that older people should go home and leave the political field for the dot.com generation of youths. Their other intention is to lock-out Mrs Onyuka and Ms Milie Odhiambo from the race or women Senate representative.

In his bid to clinch the Sate seat for Homa-Hay, Otieno Kajwang’ will have to square it with the abrasive Ndhiwa MP Joshua Orwa Ojode who has also declared that he would be vying for the same seat. Ojode and Kajwang’; are sworn political enemies. Both men have served for more than three terms in the August House with Kajwang” have been elected in 1992 while Ojode was elected a year later following the defection of the former Ndhiwa MP Tom Odongo Obondo who won the seat a Ford Kenya party ticket, but within two months defected back to KANU.

Traveling in a brand new product car Mrs Wanga recently traversed the full length and width of the Homa-Bay County while distributing new calendars with her portrait to the voters in most parts of the Homa-Bay County. The distribution of the calendars covered areas like Mfangano, Rusinga, Gwassi, Lambwe, Homa-Bay, Kasipul-Kabondo and other paces. The objectives of this solo trip covering the whole of the County was partly meant for introduction and popularization purposes.

The reports emerging from the various constituencies says the moved backfired, and many voters still held the views that two prominent women leaders Mrs Roselyn Onyuka an Ms Millie Odhiambo the nominated MP are far much better placed to clinch the women Senate representative should any of them decide to join the race for the women Senate seat.

Ends