By Hope Barbra
For the first time in history, the excitement and scramble for Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ticket in Nyanza has thawed, with leading aspirants for the Kasipul parliamentary by-election seeking alternative vehicles.
ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna had warned three months ago of the aspirants’ apathy over the party certificate, and sources within say only two aspirants have expressed interest in the party ticket by paying the nomination fees.
Sifuna had, during a live TV interview with Citizen TV, revealed that the excitement over the ODM ticket was waning and that aspirants were opting for other parties as part of the concern the party has to contend with.
Interestingly, only two aspirants have so far sought the party ticket. They include Mr Boyd Were, the son of the slain area MP Charles Ongondo Were, who is enjoying the support of ODM national chairperson, also Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, and a section of MPs from the region.
Wanga has directed county government employees from the area to campaign for Boyd and even prevailed upon her CEC Dr Joash Aloo to forgo his ambition and instead support her candidate.
The other is Kepha Ogada, who enjoys the support of Siaya Senator Dr Oburu Odinga and his sister Dr Wenwa Akinyi Oginga.
The decision by Wanga to declare support for Boyd has divided the party right in the middle and forced most of the aspirants to seek alternative vehicles for the by-election.
Equally, Kasipul professional group led by Eng Tom Awino Okoko wrote to the ODM party leader Raila Odinga to express their concern over interference in the nomination by the party’s officials.
The professionals had threatened to stop any form of “opposition of a candidate on them” and want to be allowed to independently elect a candidate of their choice.
Ogada said it was sad that only three aspirants had sought the ODM ticket and registered to participate in the party’s nomination scheduled for this.
“The interference in the ODM nomination by the national chairperson is eroding the party’s national outlook and may undermine its performance in the by-election. Let the people be given a free hand to elect a candidate of their choice,” he said.
Previously, over 14 aspirants had declared interest in fighting over the ODM ticket, but the excitement has faded out and left ODM as a shell.
ODM is reputed for nomination anomalies, with the party leadership known to interfere with the exercise or, on occasion, award direct tickets to their preferred candidates.
The seat has attracted Ogada, Victor Mbaka, Sam Otiende, Boyd, Philip Aroko, Okindo Majiwa, Okeyo Ouko, Robert Ajwang Mabior, Omondi Swaleh, Collins Okeyo, and George Otieno, among others.
Wanga and her deputy, and a former area MP Oyugi Magwanga, have differed over the nomination, with Magwanga demanding that the electorate be allowed to elect a candidate of their choice.
And now the battle is shaping up to a war ground between Wanga and Magwanga, who are likely to face off in the 2027 general election.
The by-election is so crucial and strategic for both Wanga and Magwanga ahead of the 2027 general elections, where they may face each other at the ballot box for the county seat.
For Wanga, Ongondo’s demise left a vacuum and void that she must fill with her preferred candidate to checkmate Magwanga.
Ongondo was the checkmate to Magwanga, and the two were bitter rivals and rarely shared a podium. Ongondo was used by Wanga to checkmate, tame her deputy, and control his political influence in the constituency.
For Magwanga, he wants to have a say in the constituency that he once represented for two terms before he decided to have a stab at the gubernatorial seat in the 2017 and 2022 elections.
Kasipul remains his fulcrum if he intends to pursue his ambition and wants a new MP allied to him to take over from Ongondo.
This explains the recent meeting of some aspirants from the area who converged in Nairobi to champion a united front in the party nominations.
The differing political stand between Wanga and Magwanga was observed after the former visited the latter at his home with a view to seeking his support for Boyd Were.
Wanga and her team tried to prevail upon Magwanga to support Ongondo’s son, Boyd, but the latter was reluctant and did not commit to the proposal.
On the table, sources told Western Insight, was that Wanga asked Magwanga to support Boyd, and in return, she would support his candidature for Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Homa Bay County chairman seat.
Magwanga confirmed the visit, saying they discussed various issues and neither denied nor confirmed whether he was approached to support the son of his political nemesis and would, in return, get the county ODM chair seat.
“The Governor visited me last night and we discussed several issues. You are free to speculate whatever we discussed. I have been having several visitors to my home and everyone is welcome,” he said.
