BY JEFF OTIENO

Hardly three weeks after declaring his candidature and launching his bid for Kisumu County Governor race, top medic Dr. Hezron Mackobewa has been prevailed upon to withdraw his bid.

Confirming the same to the press when contacted, Dr. Mackobewa said he had been approached by top echelons of the ODM party and he had no choice but to succumb to their request that he withdraws.

He could not however divulge on what grounds he had been told to withdraw. Observers are however quick to point out that Dr. Mackombewa’s situation is just the first one of a series to come across the region adding that he was considered to be one of the top contenders who could have been a stumbling block to the powers that be preferred “candidate”. The medic hails from Kano Kowuor Kamagaga and is a resilient hotelier with chains of the same outfits webbing across the region.

He is aged 41 years, wealthy to contend with and was recently controversially appointed as Chairman Council of NGOs by Cabinet Minister William Ole Ntimama. Sources further confided to this writer that a clique of ODM MPs and mandarins were the ones unleashed on Dr. Makobewa last weekend and the medic promptly obliged by dismantling his campaign secretariat though with fury from his supporters and members of his native Kano clan.

Makobewa was slated to battle it out with another leading contender Peter Hongo who is still an employee of Mumias Sugar but has confirmed to launch by the beginning of October.

Polished, wealthy and soft spoken Hongo is aged 42 and is a native of Kogony clan. He has been criss-crossing the terrain building schools and sponsoring bright but poor students for now over 5 years. He’s also one of the brains behind the success of leading Miller Mumias Sugar.
Nairobi based lawyer cum business Mogul Atieno Otieno has also hit the ground meeting opinion shapers and youth groups.

She’s a native of Kisumu West (OSIRI) but married in Nyando (KANO).
Ruth Odinga Sister to Prime Minister and C.E.O Molasses plant has also not relented despite allegations that she is the one being fronted by ODM top hierarchy, allegations she has been vehemently denying in various forums.

London based Simon Ogendo who is an Insurance Expert is also in the frame. He’s the son of former Mayor Ogendo Ponge of Kano Kolwa. Ogendo is to launch his bid in next month early October but he is currently on campaign related mission in Europe.

Veteran Politician Ojwang Kombudo aged 78 has also made a plung. Kombudo is a shrewd businessman and former Kisumu Municipal Town Clerk from Nyakach Constituency.

Another aspirant shuttling the murky waters is Deputy Clerk of National Assembly Owino Omollo and the list continues.

END