Writes Arrum-Tidi Ogonglo in Oyugis Town
The Orange Democratic movement {ODM} top brass team led by the party’s Secretary General Prof. Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o made an extensive tour of Ndhiwa constituency to drum up the support for the party candidate Augustine Neto Oyugi who is embroiled in the by-election campaign. The group successfully addressed a series of public rallies at the various marketplaces, trading centers and in Ndhiwa town.
Prof Nyongo’ was accompanied by he local ODM MPs from the greater Southern Nyanza region.
They included Martin Otieno Ogindo {Rangwe} John Mbadi {Gwassi] Eng.James K .Rege {Karachuonyo}, Land Minister James Orengo local party branch leaders, several aspirants for the various elective positions within the Homa-Bay County governance, parliamentary constituencies and aspirants for Senates seats and women parliamentary representatives County Ward’s representatives etc.
However, Prof Nyong’o’s team encountered a chaotic situation when the it visited Oyugis Town in Kasipul-Kabondo constituency Rachuonyo South district as the head of ODM campaign team to drum up support for the party candidate in the civic by-election in Wire Migwi Ward.
This is the most controversial Ward in the region where the late Ogweno Ong’ondo, the former Oyugis Mayor who had won the election in 2007 o a ticket of a party known as KUNAP which has since ceased to exist.
The ODM official candidate is David Ochieng’Abuor who is facing stiffest opposition from a TNA candidate David Dache Akuku. The latter had lost ODM nomination primaries, and later switched side and hopped to the TNA to the chagrins of ODM leadership since the law has since outlawed party hoppers.
Allegations and rumors have also emerged that some of the parliamentary aspirants in the area are only giving lip-services to the ODM while privately funding the campaign activities of the rival parties candidates
Nyong’o’s team was met by party officials from Kasipul and Kabondo Kasipul constituencies at Kosele district headquarters of the Rachuonyo South district and dove to Oyugis town in a convoy of sleek car at the Oyugis-Kendu-Bay junction.
It was here where the signs of troubles ahead started surfacing.
The Kasipul-Kabondo incumbent MP Joseph Oyugi Maguwanga met with the group. The MP insisted that the team had to go to Nyadendi Hotel, but party officials in the area had earlier made some tentative arrangement that Nyong’o and is team would first of all visit the ODM office in town, sign visitor’s book and addressed the officials and others at the office. Bitter argument ensured and Nyong’o concurred with the local branch officials that his team would visit the party office first. The MP persuaded some of the MP who branched off from the Nyong’o’s entourage and went Nyadendi Hotel to the displeasure of the party local officials who viewed the MP’s action as that armed at undermining the ODM in the area..They stayed at the hotel for close to one hour, while Nyong’o conducted the meeting in the ODM office.
At the party office in Oyugis town Pro Nyong’o’s group also met a large number of aspirants vying for the various elective positions on ODM tickets in Kisii and Nyamira Counties as ell as the local aspirants and addressed them.
And while the meeting at ODM office was in progress the area MP burst in accompanied by track-load of unruly an rowdy youths.
The MP came to the office at the tine when one of the parliamentary aspirants for Kasipul seat Charles Were Ong’ondo was addressing the gathering inside office. Ong’ondo extended a gesture of welcoming the MP into the office, but some how cracked a joke by saying that the MP has never set his foot into the party office in Oyugis ever since he and his team were roundly defeated during the party’s grass root election the previous year.
These remarks did not go down well with the MP who stared shouting that some people were hell bent in spreading dirty propaganda aimed at undermining him Chaos broke lose with some party branch officials shouting back at the top of their voices alleging that MP Maguwanga is working with TNA.
The bi – election polls in both Atela and Wire / Migwa Wards are secheduled for September 17, altogether with that of Ndhiwa parliamentry by-elections
At this point the youth who had been sitting inside a land rover vehicle jumped out and menacingly rooting for a fight. Local party branch officials physically pushed the MP at the office and Prof.Nyong’o called off the meeting and told those in attendance to proceed to the venue of the campaign rally at Kagak-Nyalenda.
More chaotic situation erupted at the rally forcing Prof Nyong’o to forcefully grab the microphone from MP Maguwanga who was increasing under siege by the paltry crowd at the rally.
The MP told the rally tat he was firmly in ODM and only his detractors who are making things difficult for him by heaping false accusation against him. The remark did not go down well wit the crowd shouting back saying he the MP was undermining ODM in the area.
The situation was the same when the team visited Atela Ward in Kabondo Kasipul constituency with some voices coming from the crowd accusing the MPs of conspiracy with other unnamed people who are allegedly engaged in subverting the ODM and allegedly supporting TNA civic candidate for Wire/Migwa Ward in the on-going by-election campaign.
At the Oyugis OM office it took the political magnanimity Hebert Ojwang’ the Nairobi based businessman who is vying for the Kabondo-Kasipul parliamentary seat to calm down the engaged ODM officials who were menacingly rooting for a fight with MP Maguwangag they would support TNA or URP.It later emerged that MP Maguwanga is having a lean time and under siege ever since the populous Kasipul –Kabondo was sub-divided by the IEBC
The expansive constituency has now been renamed Kasipul I its lower part, while the upper part, maily Kabondo region is renamed Kabondo –Kasipul constituency.
MP Maguwand whose home is near Oyugis hs the oughest choice ahead, because most of his relatives and loyalsupporters among them the resident of Kojwaha and Kaelo have been transferred and included in Kabondo Kasipul together with the resident of KokwanyoLocatins. His parens are living around Dudi/Ober-Mikaye area in Kakelo location, while the MP had established his own home at East Kamaak Konyango near Oyugis. In this part of lower Kasipul, he appeared to have lost the support of the resident who are are hell-bent I backing their own sons and daughters.
The lower part of the old Kasipul-Kabondo, which is, in this case is the original Kasipul comprises sub-clans of Kokal/Kanyago, Kotieno, Kodera, Kachien, Konyango in Kamagak West a well as large number of immigrant settlers from other Luo regions.
MP Maguwanga present problems appeared to have emerged and came about because he is a member of the minority Wasweta sub-clan whose origins could as well be traced in Suba regions of Suna/Migori and Suba regions But had settled among the Jo-Konyango, one of the largest sub-clans in the region.
His parent’s home is in Kakelo in the eastern part of the old Kasipul-Kabondo. He has a tough choice to make either to defend his seat in the old Kasipul or switch his political camp to kabondo-Kasipul in the east where he can join his Wasweta sub-clans and his uncles the Jo-Kojwach sub-clans for votes hunting.
The MP’s position is made precarious due to the fact that each one of the major sub-clans in Kasipul is fronting their own son to grab the seat. In this clans rivalries arithmetic,
The Jo-Konyangoroup have Eng. Tom Okoko, while the Jo-Kokal/Kanyango have the former MP William Oloo Otula, Kevin Odoyo Owidi , the younger brother of the former MP the late Eng.Peter Owidi, and the youthful businessman Sam Kotiende, at the same time the Jo-Kotieno and the Nairobi based lawyer Samuel Ochilo who is now a resident of Kokech location withi the larger Jo-Koteno. Ochillo, however, originally from Wasweta in Kamagak East, but has since settled in Kokech. The Jo-Kodera sub-clans Also vying for the same seat is Captain John Omolo an ex-Kenya Navy soldier from Kodera North, Eng Ogwang and Paul Mboga from Kodera North. have the Norway based senior university lecturer.
Dr.Otieno Mbare, and the Jo-Kachien have fronted the populist Meru-based businessman Charles Were Ong’ondo whose candidature appeared to be making major in-roads across the board into all sub-clans small and larger.
The MP is said to be disillusioned, though he had written to the ODM head office at the Orange House indicating that he would defend his seat, but he is reported not to have specifically mentioned as to in which constituency he is going to contest the election, because of the sub-division which has caused a lot of political intrigues I the region.
MP Maguwanga rivals in both constituencies being aware of his predicament are said to be making a big kill, hence the accusation that he is not genuine ODM loyal member. He is not to be warmly welcome in the newly created Kabondo-Kasipul constituency where his family lived and has a home in Kakelo Dudi area.
The Jo-Kabondo groups have also lined up their own sons and daughters for the new seat and would not hear of the Maguwanga’s name. What a dilemma a political dilemma is facing the MP facing?.
Ends