UNLESS THE GOVERNMENT TAKES STRINGENT SECURITY PRECAUTION MEASURES SOME PARTS OF WESTERN KENYA COULD TURN TO BE CHAOTIC DURING THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTIONS.
News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City
ALTHOUGH the usually volatile violence prone Counties in Southern Nyanza and Kisii regions are still quiet with no major ugly incident so far as the county is only five months away from the impeding general elections, reports emerging from Siaya and Kisumu Counties are all painting gloomy future.
Within last week lone the two regions witnessed ugly incidents which should be the matter of grave concern for those responsible for the security and safety of Kenyan citizens. All these incidents are pointing to the direction of shape of things to come during the next general elections which is only five months away.
Two senior politicians in Siaya and Kisumu were forced to flee the venues where they were conducting functions at different venue for their dear lives following the invasion of the venues by marauding, drunken and heavily drugged hired goons.
The two politicians were the Finance Assistant Minister Dr. Oburu Odinga who is also the MP for Bondo. The other one is the Education Assistant Minister Prof. P Ayiecho Olueny who is also the Muhoroni MP.
Olueny was forced out of funeral home in Kaumswa in North East Kano, Nyando district within is Muhoroni constituency in Kisumu County. Prof Olueny was among the hundreds of mourners who had attended the burial of the brother of the Nyando County Council Samuel Onyango Ong’ou..
Scores of people sustained bodily injuries during the commotion with unconfirmed reports that two people were stabbed with knives and sustain serious injuries.
While the funeral program was in progress Prof Olueny’s arrival in Muhoroni political derby James Onyango Koyoo, a Nairobi business man triumphantly stormed the funeral home accompanied by close to 300 rowdy youths sparking off a chaotic and ugly incidents.
The Assistant Minister’s plea for calm and orderly hit the rock. Olueny’s youth and supporters appeared to have been shocked and scared as they were also outnumbered by K’Oyoo’s rowdy goons. Fighting ensued and the mourners took to their heels. It was during the commotion that several people especially elderly men and women were run-over by the fleeing mourners in th4e stampede that followed.
The MP also vanished in the crowd and left the venue.
Prior to his death in a helicopter crash on June 10th the former Assistant Minister for Internal Security the late Joshua Orwa Ojode had suggested that all the funeral gatherings inside Luo-Nyanza would in the future require public meeting s licenses from the police so that the security men could be presence and monitor the proceeding an also to protect the lives and property of the bereaved families an funeral goers.
Unfortunately Ojode died accidentally before putting his suggestion into place. The Minister was reacting to an incident in Kaspul-Kabondo where MPs, ministers, and Councilors were forced out and had to be escorted to safety by the police when the fighting erupted.
During the same weekends the Finance Assistant Minster Dr. Oburu Odinga was forced to cut-short his speech at a campaign public rally in Siaya Tow after a man was spotted among the crowd brandishing a panga {machete} apparently suspected of planning to attack the Assistant Minister wit the weapon.
The man whose name was given only as Otieno was cornered, subdued by the Minister’s security details and supporters who beat him savagely before frog-matching the suspect to the nearby police station where he was take into custody. Within minutes, the suspect’s nine accomplices who had attempted to storm the police station while demanding that the suspect be released from the police custody were also arrested and take into custody.
It later emerged that the group were part of the to of the hired goons to cause mayhem and to intimidate Dr Oburu Odinga who is involve in the cut-throat sot of the campaign for the Siaya County Senate seat which the Lands Minister James Aggrey Orengo is his arch-rival.
What has emerged is that all the Siaya MPs have ganged agaist Dr. Oburu Odinga bid for the Senate seat. They are all favoring his arch-rival the Lands Minister James Aggrey Orengo who is the Ugenya MP. Orengo is also favored by the electorate who feels Dr Odinga candidature is not viable considering that fact the same electorate are being asked to vote for his younger brother the Prime Minister Raila Odinga who all seemed to have agreed to vote for in his presidential bid.
However, one MP has remained neutral over the issue. He is the Alego-Usonga MP Edwin Ochieng Yinda. But the MP has since lost hi patency then he discovered that Dr Oburu Odinga has appointed his formidable challenger in Alego-Usonga parliamentary seat contest Charles Odunga Mamba a wealthy Kisumu hotelier to be one of his campaign manager. MP Yinda has since feel provoked changed his mind and lost his patience and has joined hands with his other parliamentarian colleagues in Siaya in opposing Dr Odinga candidature for the senate seat
Dr Oburu Odinga made an error in drafting Mr Odunga Mamba into his campaign team, and MP Yinda has since read mischief arguing that Dr. Odinga was grooming Mr Odunga Mmba to grab is Alego Usonga seat. Mp Yinda who is arguably one of the wealthiest Luo MP and businessmen
And representing a constituency which covered Siaya Town, things seemed to work against .Oburu Oginga, who at later date might find himself confined strictly to conduct his campaign inside his Bondo consttuency.
All the Siaya MPs including Dr Oburu Ognga’s own cousin Jakoyo Midiwo {Gem} Nicholas Gumbo {Rarieda and Edwin Ochieng’ Yinda Alego Usonga are vehemently opposed to Dr.Odinga candidature I the Senate contesting. They have been joined by civic leaders from all the six constituencies of Alego-Usonga, Rarieda, Bondo, Gem, Ugenya and the newly created Ukwala.
They consider Dr. Oburu Odinga ambition to grab the Siaya Senate seat as part of the excessive arrogance on the part of members of the Odinga family. Dr.Odinga younger sister Ruth Adhiambo Odinga is vying for Kismu County governor position to the chagrins of the local people.
The popular saying now is that members of the Odinga family who wished to contest any elective seat should do so in side their Bondo district which their home turf and not elsewhere, but all agreed to support Raila’s presidential ambition.
Ends