News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Rongo Town
AT least nine parliamentary aspirants were on Tuesday officially nominated by the Interim Independent Electoral Commission of Kenya to contest the vacant South Mugirango parliamentary seat. The poll is schedule for June 10.
At the same time, the government has banned all the Harambee fund raising meetings in the area until after June 10 as part of the stringent security measures. This followed the killing of two people in the area in what the locals believes was a botched robbery by criminal thugs, and not related to election violence.
The killing took place at Etago Market, where an elderly man owning a bar was confronted by a gang of criminal thugs who had visited the small shopping centre and remained idly pretending that their motor vehicle had a mechanical breakdown.
The gang later raided the bar and wanted the owner to give them Kshs 100,000, which he is said to have withdrawn from a bank the same day. They shot him dead and one young man who answered the victim’s distress calls and was on a mission was also shot dead.
The nomination exercise took place in a small trading centre called Nyamarambe. The first to present his paper to the IIEC officials was Rashid Miyonga of the Progressive Party of Kenya, He was followed by the immediate former MP for the area Omingo Magara, of PDP who came in a convoy of sleek vehicles escorted by traditional dancers.
The former Principal of Uriri Secondary School Ibrahim Ochoi of ODM followed.He was immediately followed by Josephat Abaga Sagero of the Vision Party of Kenya.
Other candidate to secure nomination were <Manson Oyongo Nyamweya of Ford People, John Ondari of KANU,Ezekiel Okemwa of KENDA Party, Ezekiel Okeng’o of Narc Kenya, and Masta Ondara.
Magara also received a visit and boost up his campaign when two VIP flew into the Nomination venue in a Chopper much early before his own arrival. The two were Assistant Minister for Medical Services Kazungu Kambi and Kangundo MP Johnson Muthama and PDP national chairman Stephen Nyarangi.
The Chopper landed at the nearby ground. The two told the crowd that President Mwai Kibaki and the Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka are for Magara and that both would come and campaign for him. They said Kibaki would come and launch various development projects in the area to boost Magara chances of recapturing his lost seat, amid the shouts of disapproval from supporters of other candidates.
Miyonga told the crowed that that the people of South Mugirango were shamelessly cheated in the last general election and he expressed the hope that this time around the election will be free and fair.
At the same the South Gucha D.C. Godfrey Manyama announced that Harambee fund raising meetings in the area had been suspended until, after June 10. The measure he said is to ensure that maximum security is in place. He told the Chiefs and their assistants to monitor funeral gatherings and to inform the police of the funeral and burial gatherings in their localities in timer.
The D.C assured all the aspirants that their security would be assured and urged them to conduct their campaign peacefully. He said night meetings stand banned, and hate speeches that could jeopardize the security are not permitted.
The D.C. also clarified that last weeks killing of two people in the area had no relations to election violence, but was the act of criminal thugs.
Tension has been rising in the constituency following last week’s scuffles involving two aspirants Omingo Magara and Abaga Sagero. The scuffles resulted in Sagero whom is contesting the election on Nicholas Biwott’s Vision Party of Kenya being hit on the head with an object sustaining injured while his vehicles was damaged. A supporter was also hit on the head with a rungu.
In the second incident Sagero had claimed that Magara had spat on him as he was just about to take a seat on the podium, the claim which Magara fiercely denied. But his supporter switched off the public address system causing commotion and scuffles.
From what is appeared to be on the ground the real battles is expected to be between the ODM nomine Ibrahim Ochoi, Magara of PDP and Manson Oyongo Nyamweya of the Ford People party. But this situation could change drastically following the intervention by the principals in the Coalition government of President Kibaki and the Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Claims by PNU MPs and supporters that President Kibaki is supporting Magara would give undue advantage to Ochoi of the ODM.It was not well received. Magara, however, is still a power to reckon with, but his only undoing is poor track record of development in the area, and the alleged misuse of the CDF revolving government money.
Magara’s other disadvantage is his migratory political style which has seen him changing three different political parties. He had at first won the seat on Simeon Nyachae’s Ford People party, but immediately burned his bridges with Nyanchae and joined Raila Odinga bandwagon.This is because the South Mugirango constituents would like to vote in someone who will bring them close to the government.
Ochoi of ODM is a popular and is capable of garnering votes across the various sub-clans. He has a clean track record of active participation in local development activities. While Manson Oyongo Nyamweya, the man who had petitioned the court against Magara election will depend entirely on Nyachae’s visit to South Mugirango to drum up the support for his party. Nyachae is s till highly respected by the entire members of the Abagusii community as their leader.
Nyachae, Raila and other party leaders are expected to hit the campaign trail in South Mugirango within the coming weeks thereafter a proper assessment could be guessed as to who is the popular candidate.
Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com