By Anderson Ojwang

The demise of Raila Amolo Odinga, the fulcrum of the Odinga dynasty, has left a gap and opened room for other dynasties to emerge.

Already a new power order is emerging in Nyanza, including that of Homa Bay Governor Gladys Atieno Nyasuna Wanga, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and Siaya Governor James Orengo among others.

Wanga inherited the political clout of her father Nyasuna, a former councilor in Kisumu County Council and a close confidant of the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.

From a political minnow in Homa Bay county politics, Wanga steadily rose to become the county ODM branch chairperson, Women Representative and the first woman governor from Western Kenya.

Recently, she was confirmed by the ODM Special Delegates Conference (SDC) as National Chairperson, a milestone.

But on the path to this steep rise, Wanga has created both allies and foes. She has been on the war path on her ascension and soon she is likely to have a date with destiny.

On her list of political battles include Deputy President Prof Abraham Kithure Kindiki, Permanent Secretary for Internal Security Dr Raymond Omollo, Muhoroni MP Onyango Koyoo, Raila’s daughter Winnie Odinga, Siaya Governor James Orengo, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, former deputy governor Oyugi Magwanga, ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, Chief of Staff in the ODM party leader’s office, Mr Michael Agwanda, among others, as the list continues to grow.

Currently, Wanga has become the focal point in the ODM, with MPs and various political aspirants on a high drive for her attention. She is viewed as the possible gate pass to the ODM certificate, and that is why most of the sitting MPs and aspirants have been lining up for her attention.

The Nyasuna dynasty in the making

According to Koyoo, a close relative, Wanga has embarked on a political move to create the Nyasuna dynasty after realizing the Odinga dynasty was on a slow death roll.

“Wanga is excited that the Odinga dynasty is dying. She wants to create the Nyasuna dynasty. I wish them well because they are my blood. In this political dispensation, you may be too near and yet too far. Most people fall when they are very close. It is her right to have candidates everywhere, and I am least perturbed by her younger brother’s candidature for the Muhoroni parliamentary seat,” he said.

Koyoo versus Robert Nyasuna for Muhoroni

Last weekend, Wanga led a high-powered delegation of MPs and aspirants to a function in Muhoroni that was viewed as a scheme to market her younger brother Robert for the seat.

“Where is Hon. Koyoo? I invited Koyoo to this function, but I don’t know why he has not turned up. I respect him because he paid my fees at Kenyatta University. I know my younger brother Robert wants to be the area MP. That will be decided by the people, and I will remain impartial,” she said.

But Koyoo dismissed Wanga, saying he only received a forwarded message from the governor hours before the function and said Wanga has been undermining him even when she was in parliament, he said.

Koyoo has exuded confidence of successfully defending his seat in 2027 and was least worried by the candidature of Robert Nyasuna and Wanga.

But Robert has stated that he is the most suitable candidate to defeat Koyoo and currently works as Wanga’s advisor in Homa Bay County.

Dr Raymond Omollo

Wanga and Omollo have had a cat-and-mouse relationship and have been feuding over the national government projects in the county. While Omollo is credited for spearheading the projects, Wanga also claims to have lobbied President William Ruto for the projects.

The feud forced Hesborn Omollo, Raymond’s elder brother, to relinquish his political ambition for the Homa Bay gubernatorial seat to thaw a plot by a section of MPs who were pushing for the PS’s removal.

Currently, there were allegations that a section of Homa Bay MPs allegedly asked President Ruto to transfer Omollo to a lesser position or to sack him altogether.

This was viewed as a continuing fight between Omollo and Wanga after last year’s demonstrations against the Homa Bay governor for allegedly fighting the permanent secretary. The demonstrations were witnessed in Kisumu, Siaya and Migori counties and parts of Nairobi.

Magwanga versus Wanga

The forced marriage between Wanga and Magwanga finally ended abruptly after the latter resigned, alleging frustration from his boss.

Magwanga has officially declared his interest to unseat Wanga and termed her a one-term governor. The two have recently engaged in bitter exchanges and are no longer seeing eye to eye. Wanga and Magwanga are gearing up for a grueling battle and have both released their political arsenals ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The post of Deputy President, a bargaining chip

The post of the Deputy President has become a bargaining chip, with Wanga viewed as one of the top potentials for the seat. This has brought discomfort between Wanga and Deputy President Kindiki Kithure.

Wanga has been one of the main architects in the ODM who demand that the post of Deputy President should be given to the party in the pre-election coalition with UDA.

Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo has claimed Wanga was positioning herself to run for the Deputy President position in the 2027 general elections, ahead of the anticipated coalition.

Kindiki recently delivered reconciliation overtures to his Mt Kenya leaders and community as the scramble for the post goes a notch higher.

Michael Agwanda, Chief of Staff in the office of ODM party leader

The appointment of Michael Agwanda, once a close family friend to Wanga but a relationship now turned sour, did not go down well with Wanga and other political quarters in the party.

Dr Oburu shocked many when he settled on Agwanda, a close family friend, against the various senior former and current high-ranking government officials who had been proposed to him by some of the top officials in the party.

The proposal was meant to cage and control Oburu’s political move and keep him in check. Already, some quarters had wanted him to remove his son Elijah Oburu from his post of personal assistant. But Oburu and Elijah rebuffed the move.

The appointment of Agwanda has complicated the arithmetic, and that is why Rangwe MP Lilian Gogo, at the funeral of the brother of ODM Executive Director Oduor Ongwen, and in the presence of Wanga, demanded the sacking of the Chief of Staff.

“That show cause letter. I want it to be given to a son of Homa Bay. I don’t know whether he has gone? We can give the show cause letter. How can one represent the party leader as Chief of Staff while the MPs are here? How do you go to a function where the party chairperson is in attendance and you come here saying you want to represent the party leader? If it is for the joke, we will remove you from that office. I, Dr Lilian Achieng Gogo, have said it. We will remove you,” she said.

Agwanda said he doesn’t have any political difference with Gogo and wondered why she would attack him, but was not amused.

Cold war between Wanga and Winnie Odinga over the Deputy Party Leader slot

After the burial of Raila, sources told Western Insight that Winnie called Wanga and she never picked up her call, and this allegedly enraged Winnie.

Winnie is seen as the heir apparent to the Odinga family and possible leader of ODM, and her elevation to a prominent position would diminish Wanga’s rating in the party.

That is one of the reasons why the proposal to elevate her as Deputy Party Leader was shot down, and this explains why she came late for the SDC.

Ahead of the SDC, the Nairobi branch had proposed Winnie for appointment as Deputy Party Leader, but this was scuttled.

Deputy Party Leader Abdulsamad Nassir at a press conference ahead of the SDC said there was a possibility for a consideration for Winnie to be made as one of the deputy party leaders.

But Wanga said at the same interview that the SNDC was called for the purpose of ratification of the officials, and they will have an ordinary NDC at the end of every fifth year to elect new officials.

Winnie is feared because she may oppose and even challenge to take over the party leadership and edge out the suitors.

This is why the feuding family witnessed Kisumu Women Representative Ruth Odinga and Winnie return to support Oburu to stop the party from slipping away from the hands of the Odingas.

The question is: will Wanga successfully build the Nyasuna empire with tens of battles on her hands, and will she overcome the 2027 political litmus test in the absence of Raila? Time will tell.

By Anderson Ojwang

The reconciliation tone in Mt Kenya politics has gone a notch higher after former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua welcomed his successor Kithure Kindiki’s overtures.

“I have seen the Deputy President, while in Embu, saying he has no problem with Riggy, my brother, and the Mt Kenya community. This is welcome. We thank you for saying you don’t have a problem with us,” he said.

Gachagua said they too have no problem with the Deputy President, both at the community and individual levels.

Kindiki recently adopted a reconciliation tone within the Mt Kenya political matrix.

“I don’t have any battle with my fellow leaders. I have no problems with my brothers, who are leaders. I am an elder from this region. I am a leader. There is today and tomorrow. After leading, we will remain here as one community. Is it not true? Because of that, I have no problem with any leader, even those who abuse me,” he said.

Kindiki said he has unconditionally forgiven those from his region who have been abusing him and that the unity of the community is paramount.

“I have forgiven them. I have unconditionally forgiven them because I do not want to be in any war with my brothers. I am a pure Meru,” he said.

He said, as an elder and member of Njuri Ncheke, it is incumbent upon him to foster peace and unity for the benefit of the community.

“As an elder of Njuri Ncheke, I know we must create peace and unity because after politics, we will remain as a community,” he said.

During the Mbeere North by-election, it was a bare-knuckle contest between Kindiki and Gachagua, with the former taunting the latter as a “small man” and saying he did not see him when he fought for former President Uhuru Kenyatta and President William Ruto at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

“When Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto had problems in The Hague, I was their lawyer. I did not see him there. We fought against the white man called Ocampo (the ICC prosecutor during the trials) and defeated him. We brought back Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto. So who is this other one speaking? He is a small man. It is only that he has inflated his muscles and is troubleshooting,” he said.

Kindiki dismissed Gachagua’s claims that he was the kingpin of the region, saying he is the senior-most political leader in Mt Kenya.

“Hi tabia ya kujitangaza wewe mwenyewe eti mimi ndio mkubwa wa hii mlima. Nani alikuchagua mkubwa wa mlima? (This tendency of self-declaration that you are the king of the mountain—who elected you?) I am the senior-most political leader in the Mt Kenya region, for the avoidance of doubt.”

Gachagua did not take the challenge lying down and escalated the rhetoric by inviting President Ruto to face him directly.

“You, Kasongo, come. I am here with the people of Mbeere—we will show you dust. Don’t send a government employee. You, Kasongo, come yourself,” Gachagua said.

The differences between Gachagua and Kindiki began with the choice of President Ruto’s running mate. Ruto, then Deputy President and UDA presidential candidate in the 2022 election, had invited both Gachagua and Kindiki to a contest for the position.

The process resulted in a stalemate that lasted over 17 hours and was characterized by failed consensus-building, despite opinion polls favoring Kindiki.

Ruto and his team eventually resorted to internal opinion polls to break the deadlock. The first poll, conducted by a strategy and research team headed by Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir, involved 10,000 respondents from 10 Mt Kenya counties. In that poll, Kindiki outperformed Gachagua, with Governor Anne Waiguru coming third.

In the second nationwide survey, involving 25,000 respondents across 47 counties, Kindiki again emerged top, with Waiguru and Gachagua placing second and third respectively.

The final vote involved Central Kenya UDA MPs, where Kindiki once again led.

Out of the 31 Mt Kenya UDA MPs present, 22 voted in favor of Kindiki, five voted for Gachagua, two backed Waiguru, while Justin Muturi received one vote, with one rejected vote.

However, Ruto awarded the position to Gachagua, who was later impeached by Parliament and the Senate and replaced by Kindiki.

Currently, the scramble for the Deputy President slot in the pre-election coalition arrangement between United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) could be leading to a shift in political tone.

Gachagua recently closed ranks with Uhuru Kenyatta and dismissed allegations that they cannot work together, terming them wishful thinking.

“They say Uhuru cannot work with Riggy. You think you are one of us? You don’t know us. We are a family, and Uhuru is my elder brother,” he said.

Gachagua said he diligently served Uhuru as a personal assistant and holds him in high regard.

“I have been Uhuru’s personal assistant. I have worked with him for 20 years. We only differed for three years,” he said.

Gachagua said it was President Ruto who sowed division between him and Uhuru, but they have since reconciled and remained united.

“It is you who divided us. You came with the Bible and conned us. I blame myself. I misled my people. I want to tell our people that we must be very smart not to allow Ruto to divide us along Mt Kenya East and West. I cannot allow it. Kikuyu and Meru are one community,” he said.

By Anderson Ojwang

The return match between President Ruto and his former boss Uhuru Kenyatta is boiling out nicely in what can be termed as a revenge mission.

The cold war burst open last Friday, when the former president in Kirinyaga County once again spoke to his community, Mt Kenya, on the 2027 political direction they should take.

Last Sunday, Ruto responded to his former boss, saying he was chosen by God and that his advice will not matter in 2027 and that the will of God will prevail.

Ruto responded to Uhuru’s last Friday speech to his native Mt Kenya community over the 2022 warning not to elect Ruto and now asked them to listen to the leaders and to the ground in their future political move.

Last Friday, in Kirinyaga, during the burial of former senator David Karaba, Uhuru subtly gave direction to the community on its future political dispensation.

The message was delivered both orally, in coded form and through public postures, when he engaged his former personal assistant and foe, Rigathi Gachagua, in animated moments, shared pleasantries, laughed and joked.

That was the non-verbal coded message to the community on the new-found unity, friendship and a path for the region as they head to the 2027 general elections.

The presence of opposition leaders in the region, the first of its kind in years, was a clear indication of where Uhuru’s political destination was.

Uhuru turned to his native Kikuyu language to deliver the pregnant, loaded message and used the DCP party slogan “Sikiza ground” to pass the information to the community.

On Sunday, Ruto responded by saying he was chosen by God and he was least perturbed by Uhuru’s advice.

“What you said is yours, and the will of God shall prevail. There are people who think their love is God’s love,” he said.

Ruto said Kenyans were not interested in long lectures from the political class on the choice of leadership, saying leaders are chosen by God.

“They give long lectures, that I said this and that. What you said is yours. What will happen is God’s love. Are there leaders elected by mistake or bad luck? Any elected leadership is anointed by God. That is why even if you advise, you will not decide who is elected, but God will. Even if you advise on what leaders to be elected, it is God who will decide. That is the truth as it is,” he said.

Ruto said in the 2022 general elections, some people did not expect him to win the presidency but by God’s grace he won.

“In 2022, many didn’t believe it could happen, but God had planned. In 2027, God will plan how it shall unfold. What I am asking Kenyans is to be peaceful and vote. The rest leave to God,” he said.

But former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua said God sometimes anoints bad leaders to be elected as a lesson to the rebelling society.

Quoting from the book of 1 Samuel 8, God warned the Israelites of the dangers of having a king but they did not listen, and that is why God allowed a bad king to be chosen and they suffered the consequences.

“I have seen Ruto speak in the church against Uhuru Kenyatta, saying Uhuru made a mistake by asking us to be wary of him. God also chooses bad leaders to be a lesson to his rebelling people so that they know their mistake. 1 Samuel 8. God permitted what the people insisted on even if it is not his perfect will. That is the situation Kenya finds herself in,” he said.

ODM National Chairperson Gladys Wanga also waded into the fray and asked Uhuru what wrong Ruto committed against him that he cannot forgive.

“The other day, we saw our elder brother, who was also the president of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta. He said Kenyans made a mistake, that is okay. My question, Uhuru, what wrong did President Ruto do to you? Kindly elect to inform us so that we may understand. What is it that he did so wrong that you can never forgive him for?” she said.

Wanga also claimed Uhuru ‘cheated’ ODM on the presidency and failed to deliver the sword.

“We walked with you waiting for leadership and it never came. We waited for the sword until the cows returned home,” she said.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale also criticized Uhuru and Gachagua over their attack on Ruto, saying they have resorted to speaking in their mother tongue for political convenience.

“When Uhuru and Riggy speak in their mother tongue, they are defending their community. Uhuru, we gave you 10 years and you went back to Mt Kenya to speak in your mother tongue. No problem. Advocate for your community. I will defend Ruto in the morning, lunchtime and in the evening. I believe in Ruto’s leadership,” he said.

President Ruto in the 2022 presidential election bulldozed his way into Mt Kenya to deny Uhuru’s candidate, the Azimio la Umoja presidential candidate, the late Raila Amolo Odinga, the Mt Kenya vote to ride into victory.

Ruto and his allies led by former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua marshalled a high-voltage campaign to lock out Uhuru and Raila from Mt Kenya and delivered a humbling and humiliating defeat to the then president.

Siaya Governor James Orengo said Kenyans were in the problem they are currently in because the people of Mt Kenya refused to listen to Uhuru.

“I like speaking the truth. If you had listened to Uhuru Kenyatta, we would not be in this problem. Karua would be president today. It is good to listen. I come here as a friend,” he said.

Uhuru, taking over from Orengo, told the community to listen to what the leaders tell them and that is why he was in Ichaweri listening to the ground.

Uhuru revisited why he supported the late Raila Odinga in the 2022 general election and the dream they had for the country, but was let down after the community fell into the trap of sweet and smooth talkers.

“Raila and I wanted to unite the country, to be governed by policies and principles. Do not fall for sweet and smooth talkers. Listen to the leaders and to the ground,” he said.

Uhuru told the community never again shall they fall prey to sweet talkers but must listen to what the community leaders say.

“I am listening to the ground from Ichaweri. In future you must listen to what you are told,” he said.

Gachagua apologized to Uhuru and the community for misleading them and blamed President Ruto for allegedly sowing seeds of discord in the community.

“They say Uhuru cannot work with Riggy. You think you are one of us. You don’t know us. We are a family and Uhuru is my elder brother,” he said.

Gachagua said he diligently served Uhuru as a personal assistant and highly respects him.

“I have been Uhuru’s personal assistant. I have worked with him for 20 years. We only differed for three years. It is you who divided us. You came with a bible and conned us. I blame myself. I misled my people. I want to tell our people that we must be very smart not to allow Ruto to divide us along Mt Kenya East and West. I cannot allow him. Kikuyu and Meru are one community,” he said.

Political analyst Herman Manyora said the mountain seems to be in agreement that there is a major need to unite, and this should worry William Ruto.

“That unity is for the purpose of ensuring that President William Ruto is not re-elected. That was a big and earth-shaking moment in Kirinyaga. That we now know that Uhuru would not want to see Ruto re-elected,” he said.

Manyora said it was crystal clear that Uhuru has come out to play his role in the 2027 presidential election.

“That whatever it takes, Uhuru will play his role in uniting the region. He will work with Gachagua and everyone else to deliver the mountain to the opposition and deny Ruto the votes he so much desires to win the elections,” he said.

Uhuru is on the lookout for a formidable candidate with the capacity to face Ruto in the elections and will stop at nothing.

“It would appear that Uhuru Kenyatta is determined, if you look at the body language and packaging of his messages. He seems to be a man on a revenge mission. He wants a rematch with William Ruto. He comes out clearly that Uhuru actually supported Raila and that he was not happy with the loss. Uhuru is looking for a candidate with capacity and ability to face William Ruto,” he said.

By Anderson Ojwang

The honeymoon is over. The bond that held together the Linda Ground, the Special National Delegates Conference, the confirmation of the interim officials is now a past tense.

The house of Linda Ground built on sand after Raila Amolo Odinga’s death, where he was betrayed while his body was still airborne, removed him from the party leadership, bypassed his choice, Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o, and landed on his elder brother, Dr Oburu Oginga, as a stopgap and temporary transition measure, is about to crumble.

The marriage of convenience is fast crumbling after deep-seated suspicion, power games, age-long political rivalry and hatred among some of the top officials are threatening to tear apart the faction.

Oburu a pawn in the game

Tunataka Pawa, Weka Mawe, found himself inheriting his brother’s seat even before his body arrived in the country in a well-calculated political move.

Dr Oburu said he was not aware of the appointment until Raila’s trusted ally Junet Mohammed informed him at the airport of the move. In a gullible move, Oburu accepted the appointment. The script played out as it had been preprogrammed.

The choice of Oburu was meant to lock out Nyong’o, whom Raila had settled on during his AU chairman campaigns. Reason: Nyong’o is an independent-minded person and will not tolerate the power game. The move was to remove Nyong’o from the seat of power and ensure Siaya Governor James Orengo doesn’t ascend to the seat.

In Oburu, as a pawn, the team has moved to institute a move to remove Raila’s militant wing and Secretary General Edwin Sifuna to allow easy takeover of the party.

Kisumu County where the Linda Ground power game is played

Kisumu County is where the Linda Ground power game is at play. This was witnessed during the branch party election. At the branch party election, the party chairperson Gladys Wanga had her lineup, led by Milimani Ward MCA Seth Kanga alias Adui Nyang and her brother Robert Nyasuna, who is eyeing Muhoroni constituency.

The casualties in this arrangement were Muhoroni MP Onyango Koyoo and his Nyando counterpart Jared Okello, and Oburu himself who had fronted the incumbent Paul Akeyo.

Oburu upstaged Wanga at the branch election by the National Election Coordination Committee to cancel the elections over what he termed prevailing polarization informed by intelligence.

Oburu wrote to the National Chairperson Emily Awinja to postpone the election over what he termed a prevailing polarized environment informed by intelligence.

He wrote: “Following the prevailing polarized environment informed by intelligence, I have made a decision to inform you to cancel the elections slated for tomorrow Friday 6th 2026. Kindly comply and inform the concerned parties,” signed by Dr Oburu Oginga.

Wanga and Kisumu Women Rep Rosa Buyu were supporting Seth Ochieng Kanga alias Adui Nyang against the delegates’ favorite, Thomas Opande.

Recently, the branch agreed on a consensus with Akeyo elected as the chairperson with Adui as the vice chair, while Opande was elected as the secretary general.

But during the SDC, Wanga and Buyu upstaged Oburu as the list of delegates to the function was made up of their supporters.

“Most of the genuine ODM delegates did not attend the SDC. Most of those you saw from Kisumu County were actually supporters of Wanga and Buyu. If you want to confirm, ask the party to show you the list of delegates they paid from Kisumu and the party delegates list from each sub-county,” said sources within the party.

The Kawuor declaration

Stung by moves to render Oburu irrelevant in the ODM power matrix ahead of the SDC, the Kawuor family gathered in Kango ka Jaramogi to hand over the instrument of power of the family to Dr Oburu.

The feuding family, which has witnessed Kisumu Women Representative Ruth Odinga and Winnie Odinga take a different political trajectory, returned to support the brother and stop the party from slipping away from the hands of the Odingas.

Oburu described the event as “history written today,” expressing deep honor at receiving the ancestral blessing.

“This sacred, traditional endorsement is far more than a family milestone; it is a profound signal of continuity, wisdom, and the enduring legacy of the Oginga and Odinga lineage in Kenya’s democratic journey,” he said in a post on X.

Winnie Odinga Deputy party leader charade

In the Linda Ground battle, a move to block Winnie from ascending to a powerful party position was aimed at isolating Oburu and making him a lone ranger in the wider political mechanization.

Ahead of the SDC, the Nairobi branch had proposed Winnie for appointment as deputy party leader but this was scuttled.

Deputy Party Leader Abdulsamad Nassir at a press conference ahead of the SDC said there was a possibility for a consideration for Winnie to be made as one of the deputy party leaders.

He said a proposal had been made by the Nairobi branch and the SNDC could consider it after the party leader Dr Oburu Oginga’s position had been ratified by the delegates at the convention.

“Winnie qualifies to be deputy party leader. There is a proposition which has been done by delegates in Nairobi. In this SNDC, the agenda has been published but in the same way we got into office,” he said.

But Wanga said at the same interview that the SNDC was called for the purpose of ratification of the officials, and they will have an ordinary NDC at the end of every fifth year to elect new officials.

Winnie is feared because she may oppose and even challenge to take over the party leadership and edge out the suitors.

The Oburu Chief of Staff

Dr Oburu shocked many when he settled on Michael Agwanda, a close family friend, against the various senior former and current high-ranking government officials who had been proposed to him by some of the top officials in the party.

The proposal was meant to cage and control Oburu’s political move and keep him in check. Already, some quarters had wanted him to remove his son Elijah Oburu from his post of personal assistant. But Oburu and Elijah rebuffed the move.

The appointment of Agwanda has complicated the arithmetic and that is why Rangwe MP Lilian Gogo, at the funeral of the brother of ODM Executive Director Oduor Ongwen, and in the presence of Wanga, demanded the sacking of the Chief of Staff.

“That show cause letter. I want it to be given to a son of Homa Bay. I don’t know whether he has gone? We can give the show cause letter. How can one represent the party leader as Chief of Staff while the MPs are here? How do you go to a function where the party chairperson is in attendance and you come here saying you want to represent the party leader? If it is for the joke, we will remove you from that office. I, Dr Lilian Achieng Gogo, have said it. We will remove you,” she said.

The honeymoon is over. Will Oburu continue to play as pawn or the king? Will Winnie eventually wriggle her way into the ODM leadership?

With Linda Mwananchi gaining traction and Linda Ground engaging in infighting and power struggle, will the faction survive the test of time?

By Reporter

A representative of a Rangwe parliamentary aspirant, Mr. Clifford Obiero, was beaten and left with a panga cut at the back of his head at a function presided over by Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga and area MP Dr. Lilian Gogo.

The victim, David Ochogo, ran into trouble at Angiro Primary School during a funds drive for the Kamenya Location education fund, where Wanga was the guest of honor, when he was invited to the podium by Gogo.

Gogo invited representatives of the guests who had been invited and gave the microphone to Ochogo.

“The MP gave me the microphone. I introduced myself and even before I spoke, the local area ODM youth leader grabbed the microphone from me by force. I retreated back to the main dais and sat behind the governor. But a group of youths came and attacked me. In the commotion, members of the public rescued me. I was able to disengage, ran and jumped over the fence. I ran and hid in a nearby home. They followed me but the public stopped them. I was taken to a nearby health facility, where they stopped the bleeding and stitched the cut part at the back of my head,” he said.

Ochogo said he was going to record a statement with the police today, fearing for his life after the attack.

Rangwe Police Commander Magdelene Chebet said the victim was yet to record a statement and will launch investigations once he makes a report.

“I was told there was a commotion at the function. These are common and rampant incidents in the area,” she said.

Chebet appealed to the political class to embrace peace and help tame the use of goons in the area.

“It is unfortunate that in Rangwe, at funerals and functions, youths allied to various political groupings fight. We have held discussions with the politicians but they are not helping,” she said.