POLITICIANS IN LUO-NYANZA HAVE ALREADY STARTED STRATEGISING FOR NEW POSITIONS TO BE CREATED BY THE DRAFT CONSTITUTION IF THE YES CARRIES THE DAY.

News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Awendo Town

AHEAD of the upcoming referendum voting for the draft constitution, some busy bodies and politicians inside Luo-Nyanza are said to be gearing ready to campaign for the competitive positions that will born out of the new constitution should the Yes votes carries the day.

The position expected include those of country governors, country representatives in the tri-cameral parliament, which is expected to create an Upper-House {Senate} and civic wards for the Counties.

Luo-Nyanza is expected to be sub-divided into four different country to be named Homa-Bay, Migori, Central Nyanza and Siaya.

Luio-Nyanza is expected to be sub-divided into three Counties. These will include Migori, which is expected to groups together the districts of Nyatike, Kuria, Migori,Uriri and Rongo into one unit as a county with its administrative headquarters in Migori Town.

The other area is expected to bring together the3 administrative districts of Mbita, Gwassi, Ndhiwa, Rangwe, Rachuonyo South and Rachuonyo north in one unit with Homa-Bat Town as its headquarters.

Central Nyanbza is expected to cover the districts of Nyakach, Nyando, Muhoroni,Kisumu Town and Kisumu West districts with its head office in Kisumu Toiwn,m while the Siaya country is expected to include the districts of Ugenya, Gem, Siaya, Bondo and Rarieda.with the new headquarters reverting to Siaya Town.

The talks of who will represent these countries in the Senate, the personalities considered for the governorship of these counties and civic leaders had dominated the air in recent past, with the names of individual personalities the electorate would like to vote for and send to the Senate.

These discussions have reigned the air in nearly all the social gatherings, in public joints, funeral homes and even inside travelling Matatus. And strangely enough, for the first time, names of leading women personalities have surfaced in these loose talks.

The proponent of the names being floated around are doing so in total disregard with the draft constitution will pass the Yes test or it would be lost in the No during the forthcoming referendum voting scheduled for August this year.

In the proposed Migori County, the names being floated for the position of the region’s Senate seat include those of two former MPs Zablon Owigo Olang’ {Ndhiwa} and George Owino Acholla {Migori}.Other names included that of a former Communication Engineer with the Postal and Communications Service Eng Phillip Makabong’o,Jared Ng’ura, Professor Douglus Odhiambo and the Rev Peter Arunga Indalo.

In the same Migori County people have started linking the name of the retired P.C. Antony Oyier as the man most suitable for the position of the County Governor.

In Homa-Bay region the names of former Karachuonyo MP Dr. Paul Adhu Awiti and the immediate former Rangwe MP Eng. Phillip Okundi are being floated for the Senate seat. But in this region, those with genders in mind are also touching on the names of Mrs Roseline Onyuka the retired educationist who at one time was the Nyanza Provincial Director of Education {PDE} is high on the lips of many people.

IN THE Greater Central Nyanza County,the person whom the people are unanimous about to be send to the Senate is Eng. Maxwell Otieno Odingo, of Otieno Odongo and Partners Engineering Company in Nairobi.Other names include the former cabinet Ministers Wilson Ndolo Ayah and Mathews Onyango Midika, lawyers Aloyce Aboge and David Otieno. Other names included that of Dr. Odera Ongudu a former Registrar of Maseno University and a former Muohoroni Mp Justus Aloo Ogeka.

Also leading the packs of names being suggested for the Senate seat for Siaya County is that of Mrs Grace Ogot, a former Gem MP, Joe Donde, also a former Gem MP,Eng David Maganda a former Chief Road Engineer with the Ministry of Works, the Eldoret based eye specialist Dr. Jorry Odede.

It appears as if many people have very little interests attached to the position of governorship, but with high stake attached to the Senate representation. In this respect, party politics in the elections of personalities to sit on these seats would be negligible, as sub-clans and regions would play an important part. For example if the sitting MP comes from one side of the County, the electorate would wish to see the Senator hailing from the other ends. But strictly not all comes from one sub-clan or a particular community. The proponents of this school of thought argues that there should be some kind of equitable distribution of county jobs, parliamentary and senate representation etc.

Meanwhile the total silences on the part of Luo MPs as regards the on-going Yes and No campaign for the draft constitution is causing a great concern among the electorate. These gentlemen of Parliament did not come out in their true colors mobilizing the population during the just ended registration of voters exercise in Nyanza.

This total silent on the part of Luo MPs has driven some people to suspect them to be either standing on the No side or have become fence-sitters. Even the usually vocal MPs from the region have not be heard saying anything or appealing to the electorate to support whichever side they belonged.

Rumors making the round are that some of the Luo MPs are actually in the No camp which is led by the Higher Education Minister William Ruto. Some of them have spoken, but only gave half-hearted public utterances, and the issue is causing a grave concern within the region. People are confused and wanted to know which side are their MPs.

One cabinet member from the region has completely disappeared from the public eyes and appeared to have gone underground. These Ministers and MPs must come out and be counted from whichever side they choose to be, but their continued sitting on the offence is a matter of grave concerned to the public., pave the way for loose rumors that some of the MPs are on the No side, while their party leader Raila.

Ends