Writes Leo Odera Omolo
The Southern Nyanza district of Rachuonyo South is in the offing of making a history for having an elected member of parliament who has fallen under the rank of the internally displaced persons{IDPSH}
Honourable Joseph Oyugi Maguwnga is the incumbent MP for the densely populate Kasipul-Kabondo constituency is currently embroiled n total confusion as to whether to defend his sea in the old Kasipul Kabondo or shift his political base to the newly created Kabondo Kasipul constituency.
Credited for having been one of the MPs from Luo-Nyanza in the 10th parliament who has been politically very active, Magunwanga is technically and administratively displaced.
This followed the recent realignment of the new constituency boundaries. Kabondo-Kasipul is one of the several new parliamentary constituencies which were recently created by the IEBC.It is one of the 80 additional parliamentary seats, which now brings the total number of MPs in Kenya’s parliament to 290.
It has occurred that the new boundaries between the two neighboring constituencies has placed Hon. Maguwanga in a very awkward situation.
The MP is a resident of the old larger Kasipul where he has established his own home in a pace not very far from the nearby Oyugis Town. However, the new boundary has shifted and placed the homestead of the parents of the MP to be in the new Kabondo-Kasipul constituency administratively.
Three major administrative locations in an area previously known Eastern Kasipul have been include in the new constituency.The three locations included Kakelo, Kokwnyo and Kojwach.
Maguwanga who is a member of a small and minority immigrant sub-clan known as Wasweta. His parents had their family home in Kakelo, which is now part of Kabondo-Kasipul constituency.
Members of the Wasweta clan a sub-clan whose oriins could be taed back to the Suba of Suna Migori an Suba of the Suba region also settled among the Jo-Konyango in Kasipul while part of them have settled in Kakelo near Mikaye-Ober in Kakelo Location
The huge bulks of hi supporters have also been moved to the east and will now be voting in Kabondo-Kasipul. The boundary changes has put the MP in a very difficult situation forcing him to make a tough choice whether to defend his seat in the old Kasipul constituency or to shift his political base to the east and contest the coming general election in the newly created Kabondo-Kasipul constituency.
The MP is said to have lost the substantial number of voters supporter to the new electoral area, though he count on his uncles in Kojwach location where his mother hail from, it would be an up-hill task for Hon Maguwanga to make an impact and win the confidence of the electorate in the new constituency, because he is now being treated as stranger and an intruder and an outsider
On the other it would futile and disastrous for the Mp to stick to his old constituency now renamed Kasipul where he is residing without the bulks of his supporters who have been transferred to the new constituency of Kabondo-kasipul.
Reports reaching us, however, say Hon .Maguwanga has already made up his mind and that he would defend his seat in the newly created constituency.
The MP was among half a dozen of aspirants who turned up during the tearful sending off f Mr Dorah Oswago, the step-mother of Dr.Odhiambo-Olel of Kisumu who was buried at her home in Wang’chieng’ in eastern part of Kabondo a week ago. Other aspirants were Prof. Richard Otieno Muga the Vice Chancellor of the Great Lake University, Dr. M.T.Ayodo a senior lecturer at the Kabarak University, Herbert Ojwang’ a prominent Nairobi businessman an a former chairman of the board of director of the Awendo-based SonySugar Company a Mr Ogutu and others who have made it publicly clear that they would be vying for the new seat.
Local political pundits, however, were quick in pointing out that Maguwanga re-election in the new constituency of Kabondo-Kasipul will depend entirely on his track record of development activities and effective representation during his tenure in
Technically and administratively, Hon.Maguwanga fits into the description of the internally displaced persona displaced person{IDP} As to whether he would succeed in defending his seat and make it to the August Hose I still a matte of public conjecture. He will, however, will be forced to summons his strength and public relations prowess.
Ends