Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Awedo Town

Migori is the mineral rich region of Western Kenya

The forthcoming battles for the newly created Migori County Senate seat is likely to attract the largest number of contestants come the year 2012.

Migori County is so important to Kenya because it is laying along the Kenya-Tanzania border on both land and in the Lake Victoria

Already several names of prominent politicians are being mention at the various public gatherings and funeral places. They include the former MPs and individual personalities.

One of the prospective candidates had already I the grounds as if the elections is schedule to take place within the next two or three months..

A two time former MP in the defunct Homa-Bay constituency Pharez Oluoch Kanindo is already on the campaign trail, though his is viewed by the electorate as “Big Jokes” but it sends the message across the vast region. Kanindo hails from Central Sakwa Location in Awendo Division, Awendio district in Migori County.

Other individual said to be interested in the Migori Senate seat which the new constitution has provided include the once two term MP for Ndhiwa constituency Zablon Owigo Olang’, who hails from Sori Division in Nyatike constituency.

Another aspirant is the immediate former Migori MP Charles Oyugi Owino {Jalikowa} who hails from Wasio in East Suna location, Suba East Division, Migori County.

A retired former secondary schoolteacher Mr Jack Baraza who has twice contested the Migori parliamentary seat is also reported to be gearing to go for the Senate race. He is the sons of an Ex-Senior Chief Baraza of Wasweta West and hails from Bondo Nyironge area, Suna Central Migori Constituency.

In the last general election Baraza contested the election on PNU ticket and lost to the incumbent John Pesa

Other reports emerging from Nyatike says that the immediate former area MP Ocholla Ogur is also keen on contesting the Senate seat for Migori County. He hails from the dominant Kakoth sub-clan in Kadem Central Location, Macalder Division in Nyatike district, Migori County. Ogur, however, has yet to confirm his candidature.

From the same Nyatike, the name of Polycarp Ochillo, a lecturer at the University of Nairobi’s School of Journalism is frequently being mentioned in the public domain as one of the possible contestant for the Migori Senate seat.Ochillo hails from Kolal sub-clan in Kadem North, Macalder Division, Nyatike district.

Another prospective aspirant for the same Senate seat is Eng. Phillip Makabong’o who hails from Kitere area of South Kamagambo Location in Rongo constituency.He is a retired former employee of the postal services and an ODM operative in the area.

Nobody has come forward from two constituencies, namely Uriri and Kuria and declare his or her interest in her battle for Senate seat, It is hoped that more aspirants for this particular seat will emerge making it the most crowded race in the region.

however one Ezra Osondi who works with the Kenya Power and Lighting Company in Nairobi is said to be keen in contesting the position of Migori County governor. And so is the former Provincial Director of Education in Nairobi Christopher Chacha Ogwe. Odondi hails from Sakwa West Location, Awendo district in Migori County, while Chacha Ogwe is from Wasio sub-clan of the larger Suna clan in East Suna Location, Migori district in Migori County.

The two political giants of Rongo Dalmas Otieno, the incumbent and the Minister for Public Work and his arch-rival former cabinet Minister George Ochillo Ayacko have kept their supporter guessing as to which seat they will run for. For security reason and in the interest of ODM party unity, the electorate would wish to se them contesting different seats defuse tension usually characterized their battle for the Rongo parliamentary seat. There is, however, a strong rumors making the round within the locality to the effect that Rongo being one of the densely populated constituencies inside Luo Nyanza could be splinted into two, namely Rongo and Awendo constituencies, If this happens it will be a sign of relief to the residents considering acts of violence that has in the past characterized the electioneering campaign in the area in the past.

Otieno hails from Kangeso sub-Location in Kamagambo West Location in Rongo constituency, Migori County, while Ayacko is the resident of Waware sub-location in East Sakwa Location, Awendo Division, Rongo in Migori County.

Migori County, which could prove to be one of the richest counties in the defunct Nyanza Province, covered the largest administrative areas which include five parliamentary constituencies of Nyatike, Uriri, Kuria,Migori and Rongo. Its areas of jurisdiction include several town councils of Kehancha, Sori, Rongo and Awendo towns and Migori Municipality.

There are several important trading centers such as Isebenia, Sirare,Muhuru-Bay. Macalder, Uriri and Rapogi.

Migori is endowed with good rainfall, fertile and arable land which is capable of producing all sorts of cash crops such as sugar cane, tobacco, horticulture, finger millet, sorghum millets, vegetable, bananas and if the County resources if put to a proper use, could turn to be the hubs of massive food production in the region.

Fishing and fish trade is the main occupation in the lowland region of Migori County, covering the locations which are lying along the shoreline of Lake Victoria such as Karungu, Kadem and Muhuru. Even the controversial Migingo Island is part of Migori County.

The vast region has only one manufacturing industry, which is the Awendo based SONYSUGAR Company with one fish processing plant, which is located right in Migori town. But owing to the fact that the region is rich in minerals, several local and foreign gold prospecting companies are currently in the process of establishing full scale gold mining plants in Kamwango area of North Kamagambo Location, where the new discovery showing there is enough gold deposit, which if prospected could earn Kenya close to Kshs 400 million in 15 years.

Macalder gold and copper mines were only closed by the CDC, which was prospecting for both minerals in collaboration with some British firms in 1962,not because of the fact that the minerals were exhausted, but due to fears of chaos which were then expected to erupt soon after the country attained its political independence in 1963.. There are plenty of minerals in the region which include copper nickel and uranium The two major rivers, namely Kuja and Migori are also having abundance deposits of alluvial gold.

Other areas where gold was mined in plenty from the 1930 by foreign companies include Kehancha, Masara and Kitere. Kehancha is in Kuria West district, while Masara,Macalder are in Nyatike constituency.

Kamwango and Kitere areas are is located in Rongo and so is Kitere. Small scale mining by individuals is still going on in the places mentioned above, but to make the undertakings become more economically important to the Migori County and the nation at large, a full scale mining by reputable local and multinational firms are necessary.

Kuja River in Kabuoch Central where the river terminates its flows and a wind up in Kuja River is said t be full of the gold deposits underneath.

However, there is a political problem, which must to be resolved before the Migori County is established. Of late the relationship between the majority Luos and their minority neighbors, the Kuria is not all that cordial following the recent sycophantic outbursts of the Kuria MP Dr Wilfred Machage. Whose hostility attitudes towards the Luo political king ping Raila Amolo Odinga has of late become the talk of the region.The Kuriam MP’s anti -Luo sentiments has driven the two communities apart, and yet the two theresidents must work together in the yet to be established Migori County.

Furthermore, the Luos and the Kuria belonged to two different sets of political parties, namely the ODM and PNU, an issue which could make the distribution of top County jobs not attractive enough to facilitate the equal sharing ad running of the Migori County to be harmonious.

Dr Machage started flirtation with the Prime Minister’s political enemy’s way back at the beginning of 2008 following the formation of the grand coalition government of the PNU/ODM oasis.

Dr Machage blamed Raila Odinga for his demotion and relegation to less lucrative position of an Assistant Minister after he had served briefly under President Mwai Kibaki’s PNU administration in early 2008 as Kenya’s Minister for East African Community Affairs. But following the protracted negotiations conducted under the armpit of the former UN Chief Dr.Kofi Annan which later ushered in the grand coalition government of PNU/ODM. This fircd the re-organization of the cabinet and in the process of the realignment, several former cabinet ministers lost their jobs or were relegated to Assistant Ministers clots top facilitate the appointment of ODM Ministers to the cabinet.

This was a decision of the entire system and collective responsibility of the two principals in the coalition and not Raila Odinga’s personal decision, though the Kuria MP has of late personalized the affairs as if it was Odinga versus Machage, which is not the case.

Machage has even laid some unrealistic claims of large chunks of land inside Migori,Uriri and Rongo districts as being the land stolen by the Luos from the Kuria original owners. These kind of claims apparently prompted the police to charge h in court for haste speeches causing his current suspension from the government pending his trial for the alleged offence.

But a survey conducted b this writer has revealed that the ordinary Luos and their Kuria’s counter gets along very well and continuing doing business as usual despite of the existing hostilities between Dr. Machage and the PM. But this has also brought the bad spirit of mistrust among the two communities and could have negative effect the distributions of the Migori County top job slots between members of the two communities, given that fact of the Luos numerical strength and influence within the new county.

The Luos would form part of the majority in the County governance. But the situation could change drastically for better only if Dr.Machage loses his seat in the 2012 general election and a new MP is voted in by Kuria electorate on an ODM ticket

Kuria and the Luos have lived and worked together in one administrative district ever since 1908 when the old South Nyanza district was established and Luos, Kisii and Kurias were grouped together in one administrative district called South Nyanza.. The district was later in 1961 splinted into two namely Kisii and South Nyanza districts. The Kisii district reained in the old district headquarters in Kisii Town, while the Homa-Bay town was chosen as the new South Nyanza district. In the new district and under the County Council of South Nyanza the Kuria and Luos worked together in harmony.

When the first Clerk to the County Council of South Nyanza, the late Mzee Paul Mboya retired in 1962 he was promptly succeeded by his deputy Mr Chacha Marama from the Kuria community, a clear evidence that the two communities can still work together and developed the agriculturally rich region to the highest height of the economic growth and development.

It is also worth to mention in this article that ever since independence in 1963 the successive MPs from Kuria constituency had worked hand in hand with their Luo counterparts in South Nyanza. The first Kuria elected MP the late Benjamin Maisori Itumbo served in the post cabinet as an Assistant Minister for Social Services. His successor Samson Mwita also worked with his Luo counterparts and the same with the late Walter Mwita. All the previous MPs from Kuria community were voted into Parliament on KANU tickets

Despite of petty and normal crimes such as cattle rustling the two communities have lived together in peace for many years and are known to be engaged in cross border trades of all sorts

leooderapmp;p@yahoo.cm