Election and Political News By Leo Odera Omolo In Homa-Bay town
A new political dimension has emerged in relations to the forthcoming election of Senators and Governors of the two counties of Homa-Bay and Siaya regions.
The electorate now pressing their demands that the position of governors need a certain categories of individual personalities, and the people to occupy this lucrative clots must be those with vast managerial experiences who must also be financial experts on their own rights.
Cyprian Otieno Awiti, the former Country Director of Marie Stoppie Clinics who had earlier emerged as the natural choice of the electorate to contest the Senate seat, which is located to the proposed Homa-Bay County by the new constitution, is now being prevailed upon to switch his interest to that of the County governor instead.
The populist Awiti had emerged as the natural choice of the electorate following his attractive track record of active participation in development activities with the greater Southern Nyanza.
Other rumors making the round within Homa-Bay and its environs says that the latest development has come due to pressure from the ODM party headquarters, which is said to be currently working on new strategies to ensure that all its party stalwarts get important slots with the four counties of Homa-Bay, Migori, Kisumu and Siaya.
And if Awiti agree and accept the proposals ,which are leaked to have been arrived at secret party caucus meetings in Nairobi and Kisumu, the man who is being fronted to contest the covenant Senate seat is the Immigration Minister Gerald Otieno Kajwang’. In such arrangement, voters in Suba and Rachuonyo regions would be asked to vote for Kajwang for the Senate seat and Cyprian Awiti for the position of governorship.
If it is true as the rumors goes, the position of the former Homa Rangwe MP Phillip Okoth Okundi who had earlier declared his interest in being contesting the Homa-Bay County governor remain unclear. Both Okundi and his arch political rival Martin Otieno Ogindo the incumbent Rangwe MP have declared their interest in contesting the same post.
In the case of governorship for the new Siaya County the name of the former Gem MP Joe Odonde has emerged as the one who is leading the pack of those likely to be elected to the lucrative governorship soot.
The electorate in the new Siaya County says they need someone who is a financial genius in the caliber of Joe Odonde. This is because the region has meager resources and therefore would require a genius financial expert to mould it up and make it compete with the neighboring counties.
During his brief stint in Parliament as the member for Gem between 1992 and 2002,Joe Odonde surprised many people his parliamentary colleague included by his expertise on matters of finances. He even introduced the famous, but what later aborted, but had long lasting impact ‘Joe Odonde Bill”.
Contacted by phone Odonde could not confirm or deny his interest in the position of Siaya County governorship, but philosophically stated that if it is the wish of the party sand the people that he should serve them as their new County governor, then he would give the suggestion a favorable consideration. But only after a thorough consultation with other party leaders and other stakeholders
But so far he has yet to make his mind. He remained non committal only saying it was too early for anyone to start premature campaign for the new positions as such campaign could retard development activities.
However the popular rumors and political gossips in the public domain in Siaya town and its environs is suggesting that the electorate would preferred and even vote for someone of Joe Dundes calibre should he wish to become the governor of the new Siaya county.
Ax moderate politician and son of a former journalist the late Esau Donde Odinga ,who was once the co-editor of the defunct RAMOGI weekly newspaper, which was so popular with the East African wide readership of the popular Dho-Luo weekly vernacular in the early 1940s and late 1950s. His father later joined the Colonial Ministry of Information as an Information Officer and retired at a senior level of the Provincial Information Officer{PIO] in charge of Nyanza Province inthe1970s.
Donde’s eldest sister Ambassador Mary Odinga a career diplomat retired from foreign diplomatic service as Kenya’s Ambassador to Japan after serving in many stations including the UK, Zimbabwe and other places.
A moderate and soft spoken politician, Joe Donde would simply pass anyone as a business executive, but in discussion one would realize that the former Gem legislator is a serious man with vast experience not only on financial matters but also in the world of diplomacy and economic fields.
Donde hails from Gem Kwenda in the Kathomo sub-clan near Nyagondoi Market in Central Gem, Wagai Division, Gem district in the Siaya in the new County.
The political gossips and rumors making the round within Siaya Town and its environs are that Donde would be the right person to take care of the new County as its governor there fore if he chose to contest the position he will have a head-start as the most favored candidate.
The former legislator has been keeping a very low profile ever since losing his Gem parliamentary seat in 1997 general election together with the Land Minister James Orengo, when they stuck with the Ford the ;ate Michael Kijana Wamalwa’s Ford Kenya, a party they insisted was formed by the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. All those Luo MPs who had remained loyal to Wamalwa’s camp and refused to cross the floor to the Raila Odinga NDP side were voted out of Parliament in 1997.
They include J.D.Akumu {Nyakach}, Ramogi Achieng’ Oneko {Rarieda]. Clarkson Otieno Karan [Nyando], Justus Aloo Ogeka {Nyakach} and late Linus Aluoch Polo {Rongo}.All were swept out of parliament in 1997 by the strong current of the Raila Odinga’s NDP torrential rain waters and its euphoria.
Orengo has since repented and rejoined Raila Odinga’s ODM and recaptured his Ugenya Parliamentary seat in 2002while Joe Odonde is said to be leading a quiet life in Nairobi occasionally participating in the activities of NGOs and private businesses.
In Homa-Bay the reported shifting ground of Cyprian Awiti who has abandoned his claims to the Senate seat and settled on the more so important governor position is said to be most welcomed by the electorate, who argues that Awiti who has served in the various senior positions in private and public sector is the most suitable. He is expected to make good use of his vast experience in management of larger organizations.
Contacted by phone Awiti readily confirmed that he has concurred with the popular demand and pressure from the electorate that he should contest the governor slot instead of the Senate, because the Wananchi who knew his past attractive and clean record want him to serve them in that position.
Others have suggested that with his wealth of managerial experience, Awiti should have even suited to be made the overall governor of the entire former Nyanza region on supervisory position over other governors in the region,. But he only laughed at that suggestion, adding tat is outside the constitution.
Other names being mentioned as possible aspirants for the position of Siaya County governor include the long serving Alego-Usonga MP Peter Oloo Aringo, immediate former Rarieda MP and Foreign Affairs Minister Raphael Tuju, the former Kenya.s ambassador to Washington Odinga Ogego,
Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com
moses omolo
October 5th, 2010 – 09:19The governor post and senate is not amatter of sitting somewhere and comming out with limited solutions of due to public demand.Which public?Homabay is a county containing so many proffessionals with ambitions of lifting it to where appropriate.MOrever, am a loyal ODM party stalwart and if this is what it is planning for,then am not afraid to say that we are tired of tarmackers who hold futile harambees in the cuptivating name of developement and if this is what Awiti has been campaining for then,he is now lowering his dignity
I knew there is something i like in the newly promulgated constitution I only could not put my finger on it it. There it is : earning your way to elected office in such wide constituency as county leadership. No quick fixes. Contest pure and clear.
My good friend always Joe Donde (Akech Jakidi) fits the bill. Go JB you have my support.
I have a problem of personalities always being floated from some where either in Nairobi and Kisumu and expect us to vote for them, I am tired of personalities these names to which is being preached for us have heard their time and if they have been development conscious thanks be to God let them stay at home and watch how a young fellow like me perform we have been to school and always empty promises of being leaders of tomorrow which is not fourth coming. The rich/big names have failed us and incase they talk of development why is that we have no single manufacturing industry in Homa-bay which can even employ ten young people.
If they have the riches and capacities as said then they are located in Nairobi or some unkown destination in Europe. I shall offer myself for election of governor Homa-Hay county. It sounds a joke but that is the reality.
you selected their experience and it’s good to hear. am actually taking Financial Management and CPA and therefore has even the best knowledge on the modern ways of managing the finances. I equally understand the economic mix of Siaya county. any way, with his vast expertize in finance, what did he do while he was the Gem MP? remember he was genius even then. roundi hii tumeerevuka na wako mashakani. no more boardroom meetings to decide the Siaya senator or even the governors. we are the employers and we will employers our choices.
ALL THOSE COMING DOWN IN THE NAME OF THE PARTY HAS SID THIS OR THAT SHOULD PREPARE THEMSELVES FOR MAJOR SHOCKS FOR WANANCHI ARE NOW BRIGHTER.WE WILL ELECT ONE ONLY ON THE BASIS OF AGENDA FOR THE REGIONS,INTEGRITY AND DEMONSTRATED MANAGERIAL ABILITY.HOMA BAY WILL ELECT A YOUTHFUL LEADER WHO HAS PROVED THAT HE HAS THE ABILITY TO EMPOWER THE REGION ECONOMICALLY
The name that have been quoted are not bad. Yes, they have the political right to express their ambitions. But, the journey has just started. Come to the ground with U records straight and we screen them before u think of these posts. My humbly prayer and wish 4 the people of H/B- COUNTY is 4 us to elect a leader who can propel us to the greatest heights of our prosperity. To eliminate us 4m these our core enemies i.e. vicious cycle of poverty, ignorance and diseases that our grandfathers started fighting since independence and we’ve continued the same fight but with no signs of success. The formula (policy plan) that u aspirant of those seats have in store to eliminate the said problems is the key to U success.
I agree with you Bwana Jabes.This is the way to go.Let them lay their policies on the table other than shout through these sites about their being tosha.
Make wise decision people of Nyanza its time we facilitate development in that part of the country, the fronted names are known to be Champions of development so a consideration is indeed worth its bit
Interesting comment about Donde, but is that the man he really is.There are rather many dubious issues the public hardly know about so I would say let the man rest in his retirement,enough scandals.
Join the big debate in Homa Bay county http://www.facebook.com/homabaycounty
im also contesting for governer homabay county provided youths can together vote a youth.
If were to decide for the people of Siaya County as to who among them should become the Governor. I would ask them to consider Isaac Omolo Okero for the job.
Reasons majorly being that during the time of his days in public service corruption was the order of the day but there is no way that we heard his name in the list of those who were corrupt.
Omolo would tell you to your face what he thinks about you and would only consider you for any position on the basis of your qualifications.
His development track record speaks for its self. The District hospital at Siaya and the sub-district hospital at Yala – just to mention but few.
The budgetary allocation for the County lies in the hands of the Governor and this is where integrity is paramount.
With those high standards that are required for such a position let Omolo have the position for only Five years and leaves after he has set the trend and the pace.
any body under the age of sixty five would come campaign with money and then is likely to go and recover from the county coffers.
Paruru wachno maber