News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

The proposed four Counties provided in the new constitution of Kenya, which are to be established around the Lake Victoria basin could be the role model in the near future of their resources could be well catered for.

Luo-Nyanza in particular is a region which is endowed with abundance of resources, that include the five white sugar manufacturing plants, abundance fisheries resources, plenty of sceneries and tourists attraction good rainfall distribution, arable and fertile and land that is capable of producing cash crops for exports and sufficient food grain for domestic consumption.

The four proposed regional Counties are Siaya, Kisumu, Homa-Bay and Migori. All are lying along the off-shore of Lake Victoria, which is famous for the production of the highly valued Nile perch fillets for exports.

Siaya County could turn out thousands of bails o cotton, maize, sorghum millets, fish, minerals, particularly gold in Bondo and tourism now that President Barack Obama Alego Kogelo Community Cultural Center is being established. The road from Ndori-Nyang’oma is being constructed and ground breaking for the termer-mocking this particular section will be performed by the Prime Minister Raila Odinga this weekend.

Upper part of Southern Nyanza, in areas like Kasi0ula-Kabndo9, Kamagambo, Sakwa,Kanyamkago,Suna Migori and Ndhiwa have sufficient rainfall fairly distributed through out the year and could serve as the hubs of massive food production if the new County would take care of the region’s agriculture as top priorities, and proper planning of the infrastructures.

The region is also rich in minerals such as gold, copper, nickel, uranium and other precious stones.

It has, however, been noticed with great concern that ever since the promulgation of the new constitution on August 27,2010, a number of politicians who include the present and former MPs and civic leaders have come forward and made premature announcement declaring their intention to contest this and that position as provided in the new constitution.

Some of these politicians have made it clear that they would be interested in the covenanted position of the regional governorship. But this particular slot in the Counties government is so important and needs to be taken by personnel’s of the highest caliber within the society. Past experience and proven ability to manage large organization would be the criteria of selection.

So far only a handful people have come forward saying they would contest the governorship positions. But judging from their past experience most of them have long disqualified themselves owing to inexperience and lack of academic qualifications, which should be backed up with practical experience and management skills.

Among the few individuals who have already declared their interests in the governorship slots, only a handful of them could be said to be worthy consideration y the electorate. Among them is Eng. Phillip Okoth Okundi, the immediate former MP for Rangwe. Okundi has vast experience after having served as the Managing Director for the Kenya Ports Authority, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation and the Kenya Bureau of the Standard. He has so far declared his interest of becoming the governor of Homa-Bay County.

The former Minister for Regional Development Ojwang K’Ombudo,who had served as the Kisumu Town Clerk for many years, is another personality whose name is being floated for the position of the governor of Kisumu County. He is facing the challenge from another equally qualified person in the name of Eng.Eric Opon Nyamunga who is another personality whose name is being floated for the position of the governor of Kisumu County. He is the former managing director of the Kenya Railway Corporation.

In Migori County, the name of the former Provincial Education Officer for Nairobi Mr. Chacha Ogwe is also featuring prominently as the possible contender for the position of Migori County Governor.He is facing another technocrat Mr Ezra Odondi from Central Sakwa in Awendo district.

Politicians with no experience in management of large organization should not waste their time, but should go for the political posts of Senators, MPs and regional assembly members.

Another personality whose name is being linked as a possible contestant for the position of Homa-Bay governorship is Mr., Sammy Wakiaga, a senior civil servant working with the NSIS. He hails from Rusinga Island in Mbita constituency. The populist civil servant cum-businessman if he chose to go for Governor that would bring a sign of relief for the Immigration Minister Gerald Otieno Kajwang’ who would be happy to offload Wakiaga and dump him in the contest for governorship instead of the latter challenging him in his Mbita parliamentary seat., a contest that would be so grueling and could end up either way.

The populist Wakiaga is said to be a thorn in the flesh of the flamboyant immigration Minister, though there seemed to have been a long period of a lull and less rivalries between the two ever since 2007 general election after it was reported that it was the Prime Minister Raila Odinga who had personally prevailed upon Wakiaga to abandon his parliamentary ambition in favor of Kajwang’, the deal that was said to have gravely disappointed Wakiaga’s supporters.

But Kajwang’ supporters maintains that it was an awaking call that has a woken up the immigration minister from his slumber and laxity. After 2007 Kajwang’ is reported to have improved his representation of the constituency as well as his working relations with the electorate. Impeccable sources say Kajwang’is keen on switching to Senate, but the famous composed of “Bado Kuna Mapambano” popular political lyrics song has yet to declare his position publicly clear.

Kajwang,’ according to other sources is fronting for the nominated MP Ms Millie Odhiambo for women representation in the Senate as one way of circumventing Wakiaga owing to the fact that both Odhambo and Wakiaga hails from Rusinga island and had some long standing unresolved family dispute a their home turf.

In Homa-Bay the incumbent MP George Otieno Ogindo is said to have developed interest in the governor slot. He is an accountant who used to work with the Ministry of local government either as a County or Town Treasurers and Clerk. But in terms of experience and managerial skills Okundi’s track record if more illustrious than that of Ogindo.

The latest development is that the electorate in both Karachuonyo and Kasipul-Kabondo constituencies would prefer to have the former Kenya’s Ambassador to Zambia and Zambia Lazarous Ombaye Amayo to be elected the governor of Homa-Bay. Before being appointed to the diplomat corps, Amayo had served as the managing director of the Catering Levy and Trustee and therefore has the necessary qualification that fits into the position of governorship.

Matters are, however, seemed to be quiet from Ndhiwa another district that shared Homa-Bay County with other constituencies. But from Gwassi the name of the former Assistant Minister Zadock Syong’o is also being frequently mentioned as a possible candidate for the Homa-Bay County governor. Syong’o is the immediate MPs for Gwassi.

A number of Luo political elite have faulted the sitting MPs from the region for having apportioned themselves the positions in the counties. They argued that the issue of electing who to which position should be the sole responsibility of the voters.

The MPs involved in apportioning the positions for their respective constituencies are wrong and it is premature for anyone to suggest any names. The MPs and other leaders should give the voters sufficient time to shop for the best candidates.

In Siaya, the former long serving Alego-Usonga MP Peter Castro Oloo Aringo is the only senior politician in the region whose name is being connected to the Siaya County Senate seat. He will, however, battle it with the high flying former Foreign Affairs Minister Raphael Tuju former MP for Rarieda.

Between Aringo and Tuju, the latter has the most attractive track record of massive development in Rarieda between 2002 ND 2007 whereas Aringo had represented Alego-Usonga for close to twenty two years and at times served as senior cabinet Minister I the KANU regime, but left no trace of any tangible development. Tuju despite of his sh8nning record of development has some political problems with the Odinga family and this could deprive him the right of getting the ODM nodto9mciobtest the Siaya Senate seat.

But the Kisumu County Senate seat is likely to be crowded with the likes of Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o, Nairobi based land value Ocholla Ogoda, Mombasa business tycoon Ocholla Kamili, Eng.Maxwell Otieno Odongo and others.

In Homa-Bay the name of the former country director of the Marie Stoppie Clinics Cyprian Otieno Awiti is till on the lead among the park that have declared interest in the Senate seat. Awiti’s name is selling well as a hot cake in all the six parliamentary constituencies of Mbita, Gwasi, Ndhiwa, Rangwe, Karachunyo and Kasipul-Kabndo

Ends

Leooderaomolo@yahoo.com