EX-SCHOOL PRINCIPAL OCHOI WINS ODM PRELIMINARY NOMINATION IN SOUTH MUGIURANGO AS MAGARA AND SAGERO GOES FOR EACH OTHER’S THROAT AT A RALLY.

Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Rongo Town.

Preliminary nomination exercise conducted by the Orange Democratic Movement {ODM} in South Mugirango ended up on Saturday evening with no ugly incident reported in all the 53 polling stations scattered all over the constituency.

The exercise almost marred due to heavy rains which pounded the area making the transportation of election materials to the tallying center at Ndiru Primary School almost impossible. However, all the votes reached the center by about 6.30

And as earlier predicted in this column by this writer, Ibrahim Ochoi, the retired former Principal of Uriri Secondary School in the neighboring Uriri district comfortably clinched the ODM party ticket against his five rivals.

Ochoi garnered 9,910 votes and will be the party flag bearer during the by-election proper scheduled on June 10th. His closest rival Zebedeo Nyaboga polled 2,722 votes, while Gideon Moreka emerged third with 2,169 votes followed by the Kisii based lawyer David Okachi Mogunde’s 764 votes closely followed by Henry Ogeto 705 and the former University lecturer Kepher Marube emerged the last in the tail end with 374 votes.

The returning officer Samuel Rafimbi after declaring Ochoi the winner said he had received no complaint from any of the aspirants who lost in the by-election, and it could be rightly presumed that everything is well.

Meawnhile thousands of mourners scampered for safety when former area MP Omingo Magara clashed with his arch-rival Abaga Sagero who is vying for the by-election on the ticket of the National Vision Party of Kenya

The clash was the second within the brief space of three days. The two had earlier clashed at another function held at Tabaka Township Primary School. The clash a day earlier resulted in Sagero sustaining head injury while his car was smashed and damaged.

The two aspirants caused scuffle at Kenuchi Primary School during the funeral of the late Mr.Nathan Ongoro.

Eye witnesses said the trouble started immediately Magara was invited to address the mourners. As soon as Magara rose from his seat and was getting ready to speak, supporters of Sagero switched off the public address system and the violence confrontation ensued between the two and their supporters.

Mourners sensing the danger took to their heels scampering for safety fearing a fight. But nobody was hurt in the melee that followed the brief scuffles.

Other parliamentary aspirants present at the funeral include Kepher Marube {ODM} Rashid Miyoyo {ONU} and Ezekiel Okengo of the Narc Kenya party.

The former legislator Magara was expected to criticize the NVP party candidates Sagero who had previously accused him of misusing CDF money during another meeting at Tabaka.

Magara later lamented that some of his opponents were inciting their supporters to violence.”Let us criticize each other on issues and not incite mourners and supporters to violence. Violence, he added, will not take us anywhere.”

He former MP is seeking to regain his seat on a little known PDP party, which is suspected to be an affiliate of the PNU.

Magara publicly challenged Sagero of the Vision his Vision party to explain the reason why he was sacked by the government when he served in the public services as District Officer {DO} and later when he served the National Cereal and Produce Board as an officer.

During the early clashes at Tabaka, Sagero was hit on the head and one of his supporters was also injured. His car was damaged, But Magara insisted that his rival was “ escorted peacefully “out of the meeting of the venue of the meeting by a District Officer {DO} and that he was never attacked by his supporters, though he had made some provocative remarks against him {Magara}.

Election violence in South Mugirangoi could prove to be an expensive exercise and bloodiest due to the fact that there are hundred bands of heavily armed members of the outlawed “Chinkororo militia”. The area, which lies along the Kisii-Maasai and Kisii – Luo borders is also infested by the other other bands of the banned “Amachuma outfit “suspected to be a private army gravitating around the former powerful cabinet Minister Simeon Nyachae.

Members of the two groups had in November 2007 attacked Magara and William Ruto and beat them up when they gate-crashed at a fund drive meeting in the areas, which was addressed by Nyachae.

Ends

leooderaomolo@yahoo.com