Writes Arrum Tidi Ogonglo in Homa_Bay Town.
Pressure is building up around one of the leading aspirant for the Homa-bay County governor position to abandon his ambition and instead to switch and contest Mbita parliamentary.
Mbita is currently represented in parliament by the Immigration and Registration of Persons Minister Gerald Otieno Kajwang’a. The MP, however, had declared his interest in the Homa-Bay County Senate seat and publicly declared that he would not defend hi seat come the March 4, 2013 polls.
The outspoken nominated M Millie Odhiambo has shown interest in contesting the seat . Both Millie Odhiambo and Dr Mark Matunga were in Kajwang’’s camp during the 2007, and it widely believed that it was Dr. Matunga who played the role of a political mentor and godfather to Millie of Odhiambo.
The latest development, particular the pressure being mounted by the elders in Suba region an Mbita constituency that Dr Matunga should abandon his ambition or the governorship and switch instead to Mbita parliamentary contest has placed the computer expert in catch 22becauuse he will be pitted against someone with whom they have had a good rapport and warm working relationship for a long time.
Dr.Matunga, however, could not be reached or his immediate comment. He is said to have been summoned back to home turf of Mfangano Island be the elders and opinion shapers on Friday.
The two Matunga and Odhiambo hails from the twin islands of Mfangano and Rusinga. The inhabitants of the two islands are people of pure Suba origins an have a lot in common including family relationship, though geographically separated.
The Islanders played bigger role in Mbita constituency matters. There has been, however, some murmuring and complaints that the residents of Rusiga have had a chance of being represented by two former MPs, namely George Osingo Migure and the late Alphonce Okuku, the younger brother of Tom Mboya and have therefore shared the fruits of independence with the mainlanders from Gembe,Lambwe East and Lambwe whereas nobody from Mfangano has ever been elected to parliament ever sine the inception and creation of Mbita as a parliamentary electoral Constituency late 1960s.
The creation came about in 1966 when parliament vote unanimously to dissolve tri-cameral parliamentary system in the old Lancaster House constitution o 1962 which created a Senate and have the 42 districts. Under this new arrangement the late Senator Sellemiah Mbeo-Onyango was elected Senator for the entire South Nyanza district. When the Senate was abolished Senator Mbeo-Onyango ho had his roots in Mfangano Island, but a resident of Sakwa East Location in newly created Awendo district was absorbed in Mbita a new constituency which was then curved out of the original Lambwe constituency. The other parts of this constituency were converted into Ndhiwa constituency.
The current agitation and clamor for an islander from Mfangano to be elected the next MPs has some credence, taking into account that the population and voting strength of the residents of the two twin-islands of Rusinga and Mfangano is almost equal in numbers.
It would an equal opportunity in terms of political representation and leadership at the constituency level, and thereafter creates a precedent in which the future representation of this particular constituency will permanently be on rotation between the residents of the twin-island and the mainlanders.
The two political personalities in the name of Dr. Matunga and Millie Odhiambo are fairly educated with the latter being an advocate of the high out. Matunga, however, has a very colorful track record in terms of active participation in the development of economic infrastructure in Mbita constituency in general and in the two twins-islands in particular.
Both personalities stands a better chance of landing plum ministerial jobs in the event of ODM winning next year’s general elections, something which could of high value and beneficial to the electorate in the region. The same cod happen if Dr.Matunga could emerge the winner in the contest of the Homa-Bay County Senate seat.
As things stand, the residents of Mbita wanted to hit the bird with to stones, taking it into account that the two are all close to the Prime Minister Raila Odinga therefore their chances of sailing through the election would be of a great value to the electorate.
It is hope that this issue will be resolved amicably in time before the ODM primary nomination.
Ends