News Analysis By Bob Ndira Uradi In Homa-Bay Town
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The Orange Democratic Movement {ODM} is facing lean time as its popularity is facing litmus test in the greater Southern Nyanza region triggered by the reported inter-clans rivalries.

The discontent is showing its ugly head between the indignant communities and the immigrant sub-clans whose original homes could be traced in Siaya County, but who migrated to Southern Nyanza and settled in various locations within the region.

And such conflict of diverse interests and inter-clans differences are allegedly fanned by the local MPs who belong to the immigrant sub-clans who crossed the Lake Victoria from Siaya in search of arable land and settled in the region at the turn of the 20th century.

The two MPs who are members of the immigrant sub-clans include Martin Otieno Ogindo, whose family migrated from Asembo Location in Rarieda district within Siaya County. The MPs settled in Central Kanyada Location.

The other MP who is the son of an immigrant sub-clan is Gerald Otieno Kajwang’,is the Mbita MP Gerald Otieno Kajwang’ whose Waondo minority sub-clan is also reported to have migrated from Asembo in Rarieda district, also within Siaya County. The Waondo sub-clan settled in what used to be Mbita district among the majority Suba people.

The leader from the indignant sub-clans now claims that MPs from the immigrant sub-clans who claims to be the most trusted confidants of the Prime Minister Raila Odinga have the ulterior motive and secret scheme to dominate the indignant people of the region.

Also categorized as falling in the same cartel is the self-styled ODM coordinator in Nyanza Mrs Monica Amolo who also hails from Kanyikela/Asembo sub-clan in Ndhiwa district. Is also being accused of collaborating with the two MPs to undermine the local indignant leadership.

Mrs Amolo is claiming to be the confidant of Mrs Ida Odinga and the gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo who is Raila’s maternal cousin. Her role in the party is to undercut and undermine the abrasive Ndhiwa MP Orwa Ojode who has flatly refused to be dragged into vicious political manipulations being exercised in the region by people from Siaya.

During the recently concluded, but much flawed ODM grass root elections in Homa-Bay County, Kajwang was elected the party chairman in the County branch by consensus and not through the balloting. Hon Ogindo was also elected to the office in the same fashion an so was Mrs Monica Amolo.

But immediately after the conclusion of the trio allegedly embarked in changing and replacing the names of those who were elected along with them with their own political cronies.

George Ner from Kagan who had been elected to head the Rangwe sub-branch had his name changed and replaced by one Opondo Kaluma from Kanyada.

The name of the former Rangwe MP Eng.Phillip Okundi who is now there chairman of the ODM electoral board and who was named as a delegate in the Rangwe sub-branch had his name removed and replaced by that of Odhiambo Rare from Kochia.

In Rongo district the same group is said to be fighting the are MP Dalmas Otieno the man who is credited as performing diligently in both the cabinet as the Minister for Public Servants and within the ODM is always being branded as a KANU mole in the party and he is being fought let, right and center.

The group is also allegedly targeting the populist and highly respected former Nyanza PDE Mrs Roselyn Onyuka who has declared her interest in contesting the Homa-Bay County Women Representative and whose records of sterling service to the people is unequaled.Onyuka has the highest profile of leadership and recognized as a workaholic person who is an achiever..

In Ndhiwa district, the hardworking MP Joshua Orwa Ojode is being fought by the same cartel which is branding him as a sympathizer of the PNU? This assertion not based on truth, but simply on falsified assumption because Ojode is working in the same Ministry with Prof. George Saitoti who heads the PNU.

Ojode being tired with the kind of political intrigue has since broken the rank with the Prime Minister and has kept away not to e seen in any official function officiated by the Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

During the public hearing conducted by the Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission at Homa-Bay member of the Suba Community from two constituencies whose inhabitants are the majority people of Suba origin had petitioned the IEBC and requested that the names of the two districts of Gwassi and Mbita be changed to Suba South and Suba North. The request was granted, but the Mbita MP came out spitting fire saying that such name could only be changed over his dead body.

The MP who is also the Immigration and Registration of Persons has since hired his own younger brother who is a lawyer of the High Court to institute legal action against the IEBC.

A legal suit is now pending in court in which the MP working through a local civic leader from Rusinga Island is the plaintiff. However, elders from Suba region who had requested for the changes of names of the two constituencies have vowed that they will be in court as the IEBC witnesses when the case come up for hearing.

These political maneuvers by people who claims to be the closes advisers of the Prime Minister is tearing the ODM into pieces, and the party hitherto supremacy in Southern Nyanza is fast evaporating.

Local indignant now feel the Prime Minister is exporting the Siaya brand of politics into Southern Nyanza by way of using his trusted lieutenants in coercing the local leaders into succumbing to the divide and rule policy.

Those allegedly targeted for possible sidelining included the abrasive Nyatike MP Edick Omondi Anyanga, Migori MP John Pesa, Rongo MP Dalmas Otieno and Karachuonyo MP Eng Jame Rege.

The MPs who have been classified as the alleged collaborators of the Siaya cartel included Kasipul Kabondo MP Joseph Oyugi Maguwanga, Gwassi M John Mbadi and Uriri MP Cyprian Ojwang’Omolo. A candidate aspiring for the Homa-Bay governor’s position Cyprian Otieno Awiti is also reported to be playing in the same league with Siaya agents out to exercise their external political supremacy against the indigenous people of Southern Nyanza.

The group it is further being alleged is working under the supervision of Raila Odinga’s elder brother Dr. Oburu Oginga who is the Bondo MP and who is said to be the group’s godfather. The main aim and objective is to have people elected in various position of governance within the counties, Senate and parliament who could toe the lines, and such must be vetted by agents whose loyalties to Raila are unquestionable. Independent minded politician with diverse of opinion stands no chance of clinching ODM ticket to contest the elections in various constituencies in the next general election, even if they could sail through the preliminaries, they would be eventually rigged out and replaced others.

Another immigrant politician whose original home is in Alego Mur in Siaya County who is also suspected to be working in cohort with the group has launched an elaborate campaign to be elected the first Senator for Migori County. He was the once two time Homa-Bay MP Phares Oluoch Kanindo who sat in the August House for close to ten years, but left without uttering even one single word.

Kanindo is involved in serious competitive politics with the academic giants such as Prof. Edward Oyugi Akong’o, former Mathari MP Gilbert Ochieng’ Mbeo and others.

Dr Oburu Oginga, however, could not be reached to deny or confirm the allegation. He was reported to have traveled abroad on government official duties.

The immigrant groups are loosely referred to in Dho- Luo derogatory terminology as “Jodak, Onyalo Biro or Ojuwando” and the rumor making the round is that the group has vowed not to allow anyone who is working independently to win any elective post in the region unless he is allied to the Siaya agents.

Local pundits are quick in pointing out that for the first time the ODM would lose a number of parliamentary and civic seats to other parties unless Raila Odinga himself intervened in time and tell the so called Siaya agents to leave the party members and leers in the region alone to chart their own destiny. People in this region are so much disgusted with these kind of unbecoming political maneuvers.

Ends