Writes Leo Odera Omolo In KisumuCity.

AS the clock is ticking much faster drawing the date for the next general elections closer by days, the heartbeat of the 21 legislators from Luo-Nyanza might also be ticking to fast following the fears that persist in many constituencies to the effect that more than half of these gentlemen would be sent packing come the March 4, 2013.

The Luo MPS are the most worried lot. Most of them seemed to be not sure whether they will make it to the next parliament or not.

Many voters in the region appeared to have coined the common biblical saying’ “You’ll harvest only the seeds that you had sowed when the harvesting time comes.

What is in the scorecards of the majority of the Luo MPs’ clearly pointing out the gloomy picture of leaders who have reached the crucial point of no return. The scorecard of most of them is pointing to the direction that hey had sowed the seeds of discord among the electorate and as such only deserved to be sent packing.

The MPs from Luo-Nyanza faces myriad of problems with accusation of failing to delver the goods, poor management of the government devolved development funds, vandalizing the CDF money and poor disbursement of the same.

In some areas the MPs are facing allegations of having formed or established their own construction companies with their spouses as the directors and managers of the firms specifically for the purpose of tapping all the CDF money through biased awarding tender and construction contracts involving CDF money to the phantom companies in which they had the economic interest in.

Other allegations goes that some of the MPs vandalized the CDF money by ensuring that their crones, most of them semi-illiterate and oldest people with no knowledge or experience in the government accounting system to mange the CDF. Other unconfirmed reports says tat prior to the 207 general elections, some of the MP had become heavily indebted to local traders, particularly those trading in hardware and wooing the voters by way of making hefty donations using such materials donating borrowed items like corrugated iron sheets, nails, roofing materials and timbers from the shops as they were canvassing for votes.

But immediately when they were sworn in as the new MPs they hatched plans devising the method of ensuring that the businessmen they owed thousands of shillings were the one awarded the tenders of supplying materials for the construction of CDF funded projects at very exorbitant prices so that the traders could recover the money owed to them by the MPs.

Our sources have informed us that such debts repayment arrangements between some MPs and the traders, immediately become the source of discontent and conflicts of interests between the MPs and government appointed CDF managers in various constituencies earning some of the CDF mangers who questioned the modalities of such arrangements to be transferred from one station to the other. Some of the disgusted CDF managers had to voluntarily request for their immediate transfers fearing about the consequences that would befall them when they books of account are finally audited by competent government auditors.

Following these conflict of interests, some constituencies remained without CDF managers for several months. Other MPs are suspected to have spent colossal amount of CDF monies in buying trucks and Lorries, which in the names of either their wives or companies which were later contracted for ferrying building materials for the construction of CDF funded projects at a higher prices above the market prices.

Some members of the Provincial Administration, especially D.Cs,D.0s and Chiefs appeared to have been compromised. In one constituency even it is even being alleged that even civic leader and chiefs as well s Dos were paid handsomely for having attended the CDF meeting, though they were doing so as members of the public service and as part of their duties as civil servant. Such sitting allowances were reported to be ranging from 4000/-.4000/- or even at the higher rate of 6000/- per person per day.

However, a number of MPs from this region are said to have used the government devolving funds, which include the CDF, School Bursary, Roads Maintenance and HIV/Aids controls fund efficiently with the seal of diligently.

It claimed that those MPS in whose constituencies the socio-economic projects which were funded by the CDF money have remained phantom and invisible are the ones who have switched and changed their status and declare they would not be defending their seats. And instead they will contest the forthcoming general elections in other elective positions in the County governance instead of their seats in parliament.

However, report emerging from various parliamentary constituencies in all the four Counties of Siaya, Kisumu, Homa-Bay and Migori reveals that some of the MPs have scored the highest marks, and all the indications are that they stands the better chances of being re-elected back to the next parliament.

In Migori County, the outspoken Nyatike MP Erick Omondi Anyanga is one person who is sue of recapturing his seat owing to his colorful track record of commitment to the socio-economic development of the area.

In Siaya County, the abrasive Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo has the head-start against his challenger and is expected to perform well during the next general elections. Another MP who stand the best chance of being re-elected to parliament is the Lands Minister James Aggrey Orengo [Nytieng’]. However, the legislator has switched his stand and opted to contest the Siaya Senate seat instead of defending his Ugenya seat.

Also in Siaya, Eng. Nicholas Gumbo, the MP for Rarieda, is among those MPs who are expected to sail through in the next election and possibly retain his seat.

In the same Siaya County the Finance Assistant Minister Dr Oburu Odinga has also switched and instead of defending his parliamentary seat is challenging Orengo in a bitter and controversial contest for the County Senate seat.

Following the latest political dimension and scrambles for the Siaya Senate seat, it is now apparent that Bondo and Ugenya will have new MPs after the March 4, 2013.

The region could expect another greenhorn MP as the result of the newly created Ugunja parliamentary seat. The same could be said of the millionaire Alego-Usonga MP Edwin Ochieng Yinda whose performance at the constituency level is said to have been dismal and full of lackluster below the expectation of the voters. A new face of an MP could emerged in this particular electoral area of Alego-Usonga.

In Homa-Bay County, the Karachuonyo MP Eng. James K. Rege,who is the only MP in Luo-Nyanza who had allowed the local CDF disbursing committee to have the intellectuals and professionals to be members.

The CDF committee is headed by Prof Akeyo Omolo of Maseno University as its chairman and all members are people of colorful academic background and experience, making it the only constituency in the region which has had no complaints from the public about the misuse of vandalizing of the CDF funds.

Although Rege may face opposition, but his chances of recapturing y are in the highest on card.

In Homa-By bay County, the two neighboring constituencies in Rachuonyo South district that of Kasipul and Kabondo-Kasipul wile finitely post two new MPs at the next polls. The incumbent MP for the old Kasipul-Kabondo Joseph Oyugi Magwanga appear to be heading for the exist door.

The recent sub-division of the constituency into two with the creation of Kabondo-Kasipul appeared to have worked against Magwanga, who in earlier days in Parliament had started very well scoring the highest mark for his management of CDF and other devolving funds in style and personally supervising development activities.

The creation of the new constituency and the emergence of clans politics haves hit the MP the hardest and below the belt with other allegations that he has been promoting political thuggery in Oyugis and its environs.

In the same Homa-Bay County, the Rangwe MP Martin Otieno Ogindo is likely to be one of the causalities in the greater Southern Nyanza.Ogindo whose origins is being traced in Asembo in Rarieda is not an indignant of Rangwe. He has performed poorly and failed to repair feeder and access roads traversing the constituency.

The worse road being the Oyugis-Rangwe-Rodi-Kopany. He has failed to fit into the shoes of his predecessor Eng Philip Okoth Okundi who was a high performing MP and is still being remembered by the electorate for having initiated and even completed many projects using the CDF money.

The MP is only being credited for having been a regular contributor to the debates in the House, but is reported to be not good performer at the constituency level.Roads traversing Rangwe-Sinema{Asumbi}, Rangwe-Oboke and Miranga-Marindi remained pathetic state and impassable and so is the Ndiru junction which is branching off Oyugis-Rangwe.

The residents have accused the MP for having migrate with his entire family to live permanently in Nairobi with unsubstantiated claims that he is rarely seen around the constituency.

In the neighboring Ndhiwa constituency also within Homa-Bay County the leadership vacuum created by the untimely demise of the abrasive former MP Joshua Orwa Ojode is still being felt, though the a new young and energetic MP in the name of Augustino Neto Oyugi. It is, however, too early for anyone to conduct the proper assessment of the youthful mps performance within only one month after his election victory in the controversial by-election.

In Suba region, the recent elevation of the Gwassi MP John Mbadi to the cabinet position of an Assistant minister has enhanced the chances for the re-election, though the elections always attract a large number of aspirants in this particular constituency, the cans arithmetic is expected to be in play during the impending election and Mbadi could be in the next Parliament.

Also in the same Suba region, Mbita constituency, which has been deserted by the immigration and Registration of Person Minister Gerald Otieno Kajwang’ is expected to post a new face as the next MP for the area.

Kajwang’ who is the current ODM Homa-Bay County branch will now contest the Homa-Bay County Senate seat. He has never been a high performing mp, and his dismal performance in Mbita might continue to haunt him in quest to become the first County Senator in the region.

Un Kisumu County, all the six MPs are expect to be sent home for their lukewarm performance.They included NyakachMP Polyns Ochieng’ Daima, Muhoroni MP Patrick Ayiecho Olueny, Fred Ota [Nyando, Shakeel Ahmed Shabbir [Kisumu Town East, John Olago Aluoch {Kisumu Town West and Prof Peter Anyang’ Nyonng’o [Kisum Rural}

In Migori County, the Public Service Minister Dalmas Otieno could find himself in trouble if the youthful lawyer Gradus Oluoch could choose to challenge his re-election In Rongo constituency

Rongo was among the constituencies which were sub-divided into two due to it densely population with the creation of Awendo constituency.

At the same time reports emerging from Awendo indicating that the former Energy Minister George Ochillo-Ayacko has opted out of parliamentary contest. There are, however, the possibility of both Rongo and Awendo posting new faces of MPs .to parliament cannot be ruled out.

The position of the two MP from Migori remained unclear. They are the Uriri MP Cyprian Ojwang’ Omolo, and the incumbent Migori MP John Pesa. The possibility of two new faces of MPs face emerging fro thee constituencies cannot be ruled out as the incumbent are reported to be facing the stiffest challenge in their bid to be re-elected. Migori in particular will have two MP following the sub-division of the old Migori into two constituencies, namely Migori West and Migori East.

However, the coming weeks will see many changes in the campaign style, realignment of politician, aspirant for the various constituencies, in County governance and Senatorial as well as civic bodies. The ODM is the dominant party, but the orange party is known for its poor nominations system, which might end up disappointing some of the aspirants who are expected to perform well during the election proper.

Ends.