Homa Bay woman representative Gladys Wanga with women traders at Riat market in Kanyikela ward in Ndhiwa constituency on January 13,2021
Image: ROBERT OMOLLO
The entry of former Nairobi Governor Evan Kidero into the Homa Bay gubernatorial race is giving Suba South MP John Mbadi and Woman Representative Gladys Wanga sleepless nights.
Both Mbadi and Wanga who have declared interest in the seat have set the campaign balls rolling in the county, as they fight to succeed Governor Cyprian Awiti.
Mbadi is the ODM national chairman and Wanga is the Homa Bay branch chairperson. null
The two politicians have put aside party politics as they all belong to ODM and look for votes.
The aspirants are currently doing campaigns to enable them to galvanise their clans’ support ahead of party nominations.
Any aspirant who will manage to fully rally their clan behind them and get some support from people outside their clan will emerge the winner in ODM nomination.
Besides Kidero, Mbadi and Wanga others in the race are Deputy Governor Hamilton Orata, former Kasipul MP Oyugi Magwanga, businessman Jared Kiasa, county secretary Isaiah Ogwe and Kuppet secretary-general Akelo Misori.
Ahead of the 2013 polls, Homa Bay leaders allegedly entered into a deal which enabled them to share power among regions.
The regions include Rachuonyo which produced Governor Awiti, Homa Bay region had Wanga and Orata while Suba region produced Senator Otieno Kajwang.
Both Rachuonyo and Homa Bay regions have three constituencies each while Suba has two constituencies.
Constituencies in Rachuonyo include Kabondo Kasipul, Karachuonyo and Kasipul.
Homa Bay has Rangwe, Homa Bay Town and Ndhiwa while Suba has Suba North and Suba South constituencies.
According to the 2017 IEBC records, Rachuonyo had 190,780 voters, Homa Bay had 186,142 voters while Suba had 103,953 voters.
Politics of clan is already taking shape in Homa Bay region following the recent endorsement of Kidero, Wanga and Kiasa by a group of elders.
Political analyst Samuel Owida says each of the two ODM bigwigs must fight hard to ensure they snatch their respective clans from supporting Kidero.
The political support base for both Wanga and Kidero is Rangwe.
“Wanga is fighting to make the people of Rangwe and Homa Bay region as a whole not to embrace Kidero’s candidature,” Owida says.
According to Owida, Mbadi must get back to the drawing board and ensure he consolidates votes in the two Suba constituencies.
In 2017, Magwanga who contested the governor’s seat as an Independent got more votes than both Mbadi and Awiti of ODM in Suba.null
“If Magwanga-an outsider could get more votes than Mbadi in his Suba South then what about Kidero who has family roots there? Mbadi must up his political game,” he says.
Mbadi has however made inroads in some parts of Kanyamwa in Ndhiwa constituency.
“The only saviour for Mbadi in the Homa Bay governor seat is the party. He must be smart when using the party position otherwise he is doomed,” Owida says.
Resident Patrick Agwagra says Wanga cannot be taken as a lesser person in the race.
Out of 60 MCAs in the county assembly of Homa Bay, more than 30 of them support Wanga’s candidature.
The woman representative deploys is banking on the populous women votes in the county.
“You will not vote for her because of personal reasons but Wanga is known across the county,” Agwagra says.
The challenge facing Mbadi and Wanga over Kidero leaves Orata, Kiasa and Magwanga with a better chance.
Orata has a head start in the Homa Bay gubernatorial race by being the deputy governor.
He has stood with Awiti twice both in 2013 and 2017 elections.
The deputy governor hails from Ndhiwa constituency which has the largest number of voters compared to other constituencies in the county.
Ndhiwa has more than 86,000 voters followed by Karachuonyo which has over 84,000 voters.
Last Monday, Kiasa said he would not leave anything to chance in his quest for the seat.
“The endorsement by elders is a sign that they have seen good leadership quality in me and I cannot disappoint them,” Kiasa said.
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