The gubernatorial race in Kisumu county is expected to take a major turn following a declaration by the deputy governor Mathews Owili that he will throw his weight behind Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o for a second term.
Anyang Nyong’o
The surprise declaration comes after a section of leaders from Nyakach vowed to block Nyong’o’s second term arguing that he had done little for the community. The deputy who hails from Nyakach said the area leaders met in September this year and agreed to support the governor for a second term. “It is obvious! We had a meeting that included all leaders from the area comprising MCAs, Nyakach MP Aduma Owuor, church leaders, women and the youth before endorsing Nyong’o for a second term,” he said. He said the governor had initiated development projects in the area and therefore warranted another term to spearhead development in the county.
Mathews Owili
This comes after word went round that the governor had sacked seven county executive committee members from the community in his government. The deputy governor who was addressing mourners in Nyakach said he has a close working relationship with his boss and they will deliver on their promises. However, Owuor has remained non-committal over the matter. Owili’s latest stand is likely to renew hostilities which were witnessed during the lobbying for a position for county chairman of the public service board where the Kano clan carried the day. A former teacher Babu Karan was made the chairman of the board much to the chagrin of Nyakach people who were fronting for former area MP Peter Odoyo.
Aduma Owuor
Odoyo did not make it. Odoyo has since been appointed as a chief administrative secretary in the ministry of Defence. The three dominant clans in Kisumu county namely Kisumo, Kano and Kajulu have been digging in after Nyong’o, who hails from Seme, gave them a raw deal. Basing on the 2017 pre-election agreement to argue their case, which is believed to have been on a 50-50 basis, the Kano people specifically feel let down. Leading the onslaught has been Kisumu senator Fred Outa, who has been hiding behind corruption allegations to prove his point.
Ruth Odinga
Nyong’o has also fallen out with one of his former key point man Patrick Ouya, who was his chief of staff immediately after the last polls. The KKK team has been regrouping with observers relishing the days of former Kisumu mayor Lawrence Oile who was the epitome of the clan formation alongside former Kisumu Town MP Robert Ouko, His Kisumu West counterpart Job Omino, his ally namely Ouko Reru and Adel Kitoto. The late Oile engaged Raila Odinga in endless confrontations in a bid to have control of Kisumu Town under the aegis of the KKK. Raila was a strong opponent of the slogan and openly condemned it.
Fred Outa
He showed his disgust by bringing in Ahmed Shabir and Sam Okello as MPs of the respective constituencies in order to neutralize the formation. The KKK clan has not had it easy in recent years after the death of Omino. Ken Nyagudi was elected the Kisumu Town West MP after the death of Omino, who had recaptured his seat during the 2002 polls. Olago Aluoch who hails from Kanyakwar clinched the seat in 2007 but shifted to Kisumu West during the 2013 polls. Aluoch who has defended the seat twice on a Ford-K ticket beat John Awiti of ODM after the former teacher was pitted against him in order to front for the interests of Kisumu people.
Patrick Ouya
It was the same case in Kisumu East where Ahmed Shabir floored Nicholas Oricho of Kajulu, who was contesting as an independent candidate. Such votes were a protest against leaders, who have over the years, been imposed on the electorate by the party leadership in Luo Nyanza. The same protest was witnessed in Ugenya where Dave Ochieng trounced Christopher Karan of ODM. Omondi Muluan previously cruised through to parliament on another party ticket in Alego Usonga. In Kisumu, this time again, former governor Jack Ranguma will be going to the next general elections without soliciting the support of anybody from the larger Kano clan where he comes from.
Jack Ranguma
Ranguma was reportedly among a group of Kano politicians who resolved to support one of their own following the purported endorsement of Nyong’o for a second term in office by Raila. Ranguma, Ouya, Outa, Nyong’o, former Kisumu Central MP Ken Obura and his former Nyando colleague Erick Nyamunga, who have been on a warpath, have reportedly reached a truce and resolved to support a single candidate against Nyong’o in 2022. Those around Ranguma, however, say he is keen on going it alone after being betrayed by his own brothers at the last polls The sudden show of solidarity places the sincerity of Ouya and Outa into question since they openly campaigned against Ranguma during the 2017 polls in support of Nyong’o.
Olago Aluoch
Their quarrel with Nyong’o now is that Raila has ‘endorsed’ him for a second term. If that is the case, then, it sounds rather whimsical on the premise that it is driven by egocentric interests and self want. Outa on his part has been on the warpath against the administration of Nyong’o while citing graft and unfulfilled promises as the basis of their difference. Outa had teamed up with Nyong’o to form Team Kali that consisted of those who had secured the ODM party tickets. He, however, fell out with him after he accused the governor of dishonesty in honouring their pre-election agreement.
Rosa Buyu
Ranguma, who ditched the ODM after losing to Nyong’o in the sham party primaries, vied as an independent candidate in 2017 but lost to Nyong’o. The purported agreement is yet to be tabled for public scrutiny but what Outa has been shouting about is graft in the county government. Raila’s endorsement of Nyong’o is said to have come after a three-hour closed-door meeting with him in his Kisumu county headquarters at Prosperity Building. Raila addressed a crowd that chanted ‘Nyong’o tano tena’ (five more years for Nyong’o) outside the governor’s office. Raila had earlier met the county assembly leadership including speaker Elisha Oraro, majority leader Ken Onyango, former deputy governor Ruth Odinga and a host of ward representatives at the governor’s office.
Sam Okello
Reacting to Raila’s apparent endorsement, a number of leaders eyeing the seat dismissed it as a political stunt staged by Nyong’o. Ranguma accused the governor of trying to hijack the 2022 race. Separately, Outa accused the governor of planting goons to intimidate Raila into endorsing him. Just like Ranguma, Outa said he was firmly in the race to dethrone Nyong’o and that he would not be disrupted by sideshows. The foes have teamed up to hatch new strategies aimed at defeating Nyong’o in the 2022 gubernatorial elections. Outa has already held two meetings in Nairobi with key allies from his larger Kano clan to scheme on their next move.
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