By Anderson Ojwang
At the beginning of the gubernatorial battle between the incumbent, Dr Ochilo Mbogo Ayako, and Eng Mark Ogola Nyamita, it was purely exciting comedy.
The public was left in stitches and yearning for more from the two senior leaders from Migori, and finally, the usual tools of trade, the pangas, axes and crude weapons, went to sleep.
It is the brain moment and not the brawl in Migori politics, and recently, Nyamita hit Ayako below the belt when he claimed the governor had never practised law and that he was a better manager than him.
**“If it is going to school, I have gone. He has also gone to school. The only thing that he has that I don’t have is the PhD, which I can enrol for anywhere. But if what I am seeing from him is what PhD holders have, maybe I am happy with the way I am.
“If it is management experience, I dare him. I am more experienced in management than him, practically. I have run institutions better than him. So, what other measures would you want?”** he said.
But Ayako, in his response, said Nyamita had outwitted him in telling lies to the people.
“I listened as he spoke in Kuria that Ochilo is a lawyer who has never prosecuted any case. I want to tell Othuogo (Shortman) that any time he speaks, he exhibits ignorance,” he said.
Ayako said not all lawyers go to court, as they have different job descriptions.
**“Something is cheating him that all lawyers go to court. In 2008, I was the only Kenyan nominated and appointed to be the adviser to South Sudan President Salva Kiir on legal, constitutional and cabinet affairs. I was appointed and received hefty perks. The organisation Kesulo, which is sponsored by OSLO, helps the Government of South Sudan to stabilise.
“The recruitment for the work required a legal expert and good academic credentials, which I have,”** he said.
Ayako said he was able to deliver the new constitution for South Sudan and prided himself on his achievement.
“I worked there, and the laws being used in South Sudan were part of my product and sweat. I headed the drafting of the laws. I am a bright chap,” he said.
Ayako said he would not fight for legal fees with his daughters and younger lawyers and that he was better off doing other things.
“If Othuogo is waiting to see me prosecute matters in court, surely, with my status, I am pindra. How do I go to the court corridors where my children are currently practising?
“Olivia Ochilo is a lawyer who studied in Kenya and is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya. That is my daughter. She has a master’s degree in law. Honestly, how do we share a courtroom and fight over legal fees?
“My second-born, Lousier, holds a Kenyan law degree and is an advocate of the High Court. She has a master’s degree from Birmingham, UK. What kind of lies is Othuogo telling?
“I have been a Cabinet minister, and now he wants me to go and prosecute cases and compete with my children for legal fees,” he said.
Ayako told Nyamita that he had held several positions in the country, saying he had a wide range of experience.
**“Before I became the senator, I was the executive chairman and CEO of the Kenya Nuclear Electricity Board, and I studied for a master’s degree in nuclear law on safety.
“I hear he studied engineering, but a fake one. You can study engineering but transform into an engineer of lies,” he said.
Comedy
Migori County has, for decades, been known as the mother and father of political violence and thuggery. The most commonly spoken language in the county was violence.
Bloodbaths and political deaths were the order of the day and never became news. They were normalised.
Political events were punctuated by violence and thuggery. Goons ran amok, and nearly all political gatherings were disrupted.
Nyamita changed the chapter of Migori politics when he ventured into comedy-laced politics, christening Governor Ayacko with names such as Oyundi, a small, lazy bird that only appears at mealtimes and does not want to eat.
Ayacko, in turn, named Nyamita Chiwawa, a small pet dog known for making noise but unable to bite, and Othuogo (Shortman) because of his height.
The use of symbolism in their speeches and figures of speech became the main form of political engagement, and violence took a back seat.
Nyamita said, “Ayacko recently called me Chiwawa. Chiwawa is an alert dog. And that is why I am alerting you to corruption cases. Ayacko is a German shepherd because he is used to pangas and violence.”
The Bye Moment
Nyamita has developed a political phrase and salutation that is gaining popularity with the electorate and audiences.
In his new phrase, Nyamita engages the audience to wave goodbye to Ayacko in 2027.
In the phrase, Nyamita says, “Ochilo Ayacko, bye,” and the audience responds with a wave, saying, “Bye.” The salutation is concluded with a catchy statement, dhi dala koso odhi (going home or not going home?), and the crowd breaks out in laughter, responding, “Dhi dala” (going home).
Nyamita may have coined the phrase and the salute in his political quest to become the third governor of Migori.
That is why, when Nyamita usually rises to speak, he normally says—
But Ayacko is not taking the jibe lying down and has repackaged himself as the grandson of Sinakuru Kukulubaga ma dogma in a fierce battle with Nyamita and his opponents.
The Banter
The Nyamita–Ayacko banter has been developing, with each questioning the other’s performance.
And now, with the elections 14 months away, Migori will be a centre of theatre and laughter.
