By Anderson Ojwang

The race for the Kisumu gubernatorial seat is turning uglier and muddier with the emergence of sibling rivalry pitting Kisumu Central MP Joshua Oron and former area MP Ken Obura.

The two gubernatorial aspirants, both from the Kano clan — the largest in Kisumu County — and once close pals, have now embarked on a dog fight, each trying to outdo the other.

Kano clan is served by two constituencies: Nyando with 80,757 voters and 166 polling stations, and Muhoroni with 79,765 voters and 163 polling stations.

Dr Oron, who declared his interest in the seat three years ago, has been traversing Kisumu County campaigning and undertaking various development programs to woo voters.

Obura is the new entrant in the race after he declared his interest last month and opened battle fronts with Oron when he ‘robbed’ him of his key allies and campaign secretariat.

Obura managed to rock Oron’s camp by securing the support of his personal assistant Nyaori Nyang and women leader Judith Matengo, a Kibuye-based businesswoman.

“An kaka Nyaori Nyang, kawuono awuok ka Oron officially kendo a join Team Obura. An ema nyocha an PA mare, aweyo salary kod ofis kuno. Ulowa ikoso ok uluwa. (I, Nyaori Nyang, from today have defected from Oron’s camp and joined Ken Obura’s team. I was his Personal Assistant. I have decided to forgo my salary. I hope you will join me in supporting Obura’s team),” he said.

But Oron also pulled a fast one on Obura when Kano elders endorsed his candidature over the weekend.

The elders, led by former Nyando MP Otieno Karan, said elders and opinion leaders from the Kano clan had resolved to support Oron for the gubernatorial seat.

“Ne wantiere e bura ka kod office mar Kano motingo jo ridocom kod ogache ma Kano kod opinion leaders. Adwaro wacho ni kaka office mar Kano wakalo gi kauli achiel ni wan Dr Oron ema wadhi godo manyo kom mar governor. Kanitie jok moko ma owuok kendo ok watamo gi. To Kano osewuoyo ni Oron ema wadhi godo manyo kom. (We held a consultative meeting as officials, elders, and opinion leaders of Kano and unanimously agreed to support Dr Oron for governor. If there are other aspiring candidates, we will not stop them, but Kano clan has made its decision that we support Oron for governor).”

And yesterday, Matengo claimed that Dr Oron was discriminating against UDA members in the empowerment funds drive for traders in Kisumu, which is supposed to be presided over by CS Treasury John Mbadi.

But later, Matengo was captured in a video clip storming a meeting that was organizing the empowerment drive and causing chaos.

Oron condemned the incident and demanded police action, saying political hooliganism should not be encouraged in the county.

“This was uncalled for. What Nyaramba did today was actually wrong — invading people’s gathering while they were discussing matters of their interest, in which she wasn’t involved. The county government and the police should take quick action to save traders from constant harassment ahead of the 2027 elections,” he said.

Oron said he was least bothered by Obura’s entry into the race because he resonates well with voters and is optimistic of victory.

“I have been on the ground and the people have decided. Go to the ground and you will find the answer. I will win this race. I am least worried by detractors. My eyes are on the ball,” he said.

But Obura, while on a campaign trail in Nyalenda, said his development record speaks for itself and warned his opponents that he has the financial muscles to run them down during campaigns.

“Ngata ngata ma dwaro kom governor ka idwaro gonyo jopiny kod mia, mano aiyie dog e MCA. Ka idwaro gonyo ja piny kod Sh 200 dog e MP. To mar governor matin mogik obed mia 500. Wadwaro ni wach gono obed gima tin mogik ma watieko godo bang ka waswacho development. An achung kod UDA. (Anyone who wants the gubernatorial seat should be prepared not to give voters Sh 100. If you can only afford Sh 100, kindly go for MCA seat. If you can only afford Sh 200, go for MP. For governor, the minimum you can give voters is Sh 500 going forward. This is the game I know how to play. I am the only candidate at the moment. I will run on a UDA ticket; the others are still waiting for nomination),” he said.

Sibling rivalry is a common feature among the people of Kano. In the 2017 ODM nomination, the first Governor Jack Ranguma faced off with Dr Hezron MacOmbewa. The party later gave the ticket to Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o in a controversial exercise.

Ranguma had to face the wrath of his cousin, then Nyando MP Fred Outa, and Patrick Ouya, who teamed up to deliver victory to Nyong’o.

And Kano is back to its usual sibling rivalry once again, with Ranguma, Oron, and Obura expected to be on the ballot for the gubernatorial seat.

By Anderson Ojwang

Ugenya MP David Ouma Ochieng has successfully sprung surprises on the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) by winning the area parliamentary seat in the 2020 by-election through his party, Movement for Democracy and Growth (MDG).

Ochieng successfully challenged the election of ODM’s Chris Karan, and in the subsequent by-election, he won by 18,730 votes against Karan’s 14,507.

In the 2022 general election, Ochieng maintained his dominance over ODM by easily winning with 25,520 votes against David Odhiambo, who got 22,828.

Ochieng can be said to have successfully defied the ODM wave by being elected on his own party ticket in a region that overwhelmingly votes a six-piece from president to member of county assembly.

Currently, Ochieng is extending his political tentacles from Siaya County to Homa Bay County, where the party is presenting a candidate.

The MDG candidate, Mr. Collins Okeyo, who was previously viewed as an outsider in the contest and was not rated among the two front runners, is changing the political landscape of the constituency.

Okeyo is emerging as a surprise candidate who may win the by-election scheduled for November 27th.

Okeyo has embarked on the campaign strategies and tactics his boss employed to win the Ugenya by-election and the subsequent election.

Okeyo, a soft-spoken businessman, is viewed as the alternative to the two front runners—Boyd Were of ODM and Philip Aroko, an Independent candidate.

Okeyo resonates well with the electorate because he comes from a very humble background, and they easily identify with him.

“I have been engaged in various projects and drilled water boreholes in the constituency and participated in education and other development programs in the area,” he said.

Okeyo said his campaigns have been peaceful and his main agenda is to end violence and create a conducive environment in Kasipul to allow for economic growth and development.

“I preach peace in my campaigns. I am a Christian, and that foundation requires me to be a peacemaker. We must have a peaceful Kasipul for prosperity,” he said.

While his opponents have been engaged in rallies, Okeyo has been conducting a door-to-door campaign in all the polling stations.

Kasipul Constituency has five wards, namely: Central Kasipul with 15,475 voters, East Kamagak 9,074, South Kasipul 14,318, West Kamagak 14,342, and West Kasipul 15,043.

Okeyo comes from West Kasipul and is the only candidate from the ward. Philip Aroko and Robert Riaga come from East Kamagak, while Boyd Were comes from Central Kasipul. Rateng Otiende and Robert Ouko come from South Kasipul. West Kamagak, with 14,342 voters, has no candidate and will be the determiner and battleground.

In the history of Kasipul and Kasipul Kabondo constituencies, West Kasipul Ward has never produced an MP, while Central produced James Mbori in the larger Kasipul Kabondo; East Kamagak produced Oyugi Magwanga; and South Kasipul produced the late William Oloo Otula and Eng. Peter Owidi for the larger Kasipul Kabondo.

The area has, in recent times, been hard hit by political violence that left two people dead.

Subsequently, IEBC has summoned candidates for the by-election to appear before it over rampant political violence in the area.

“We as a commission were notified about violence in Kasipul. We dispatched our investigation team to the ground. They have concluded their investigation. We will summon those candidates in Kasipul to appear before the commission. Breaches of the code of conduct will be penalized,” said the chairman Erastus Edung Ethekon.

Recently, Deputy President Prof. Kindiki Kithure and Internal Security Permanent Secretary Dr. Raymond Omollo declared support for ODM candidate Boyd Were.

At an empowerment funds drive at Sikri in Kasipul, Kindiki and Omollo rallied the electorate to support Boyd as the Broad-Based candidate.

Omollo wrote on his X handle:
“Together with Deputy President Kindiki Kithure, we joined the people and regional leadership of Homa Bay County, led by Governor Gladys Wanga, for a resource mobilization and women empowerment drive in Kasipul Constituency.
The meeting also underscored the spirit of the Broad-Based Government, as leaders expressed unity of purpose while rallying behind ODM candidate Boyd Were within a framework of inclusivity and national cohesion.”

The move by the Deputy President and Omollo to support the ODM candidate threw the UDA leadership and fraternity under the bus and left them orphaned in the by-election.

The grumpy UDA activist Odoyo Owidi and his team, who had been leading the onslaught on Wanga and Boyd, were left stranded by the unfolding political scenario. They are yet to visit Kasipul to campaign.

Odoyo and the late MP, the slain Charles Ongondo Were (the father to Boyd, the ODM candidate), never saw eye to eye, and the decision by the top government leadership to support Boyd has left them punctured and headless.

Odoyo and Ongondo were both ODM aspirants for Kasipul in the 2022 general election, but the party issued a direct ticket to Ongondo, which did not amuse Odoyo.

Will Ochieng make another surprise in Kasipul and potentially become the main competitor to ODM in Nyanza?

By Anderson Ojwang

When Alego MP Sam Atandi asked Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s young Turks to retire from politics and allow youthful leaders to take over, it never occurred to him that he was stirring a pig and street fight.

For Siaya Governor James Orengo, who grudgingly supported the broad-based government after he was boxed into it through intense pressure, has finally bolted out.

Orengo, the diehard political activist and streetwise politician, has shed off his calm demeanor after the demise of Raila Odinga and returned to his true colours — and now he is ready for a pig fight.

“Our community has had politicians who have been around since Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. They were with Jaramogi when he was alive. They were trying to help Jaramogi become president — they failed. Then Raila Amolo Odinga adopted them; they tried to help Raila become president. They also failed.
Now that Raila Amolo Odinga has moved on, they still want to give us direction. I want to tell those politicians that your time is up. You will not give us direction now. Now we have a team of young, competent leaders.
We have been leaders since university, and I want to tell you that when we were in the university, we schemed politics. We were never defeated. Throughout my life in campus, we ensured one of us was the president of the student union.
How come in national politics we have never succeeded?

If there is any leader who thinks of any partnership apart from that with William Ruto, then he is deluded,” Atandi said.

Orengo waited patiently to respond to Atandi’s attack and chose the right location — Mombasa during the ODM 20th anniversary — and in his characteristic fashion, he caused a storm and uproar.

Orengo said:

“There is no way ODM can mbeleza Ruto. I can tell you. But if ODM is strong and you stand on the basis of your leader Raila Amolo Odinga, he wanted a strong and free country. We must fight everywhere.
For me, if there are cowards, don’t sell fear to us. We are prepared to go back to the streets. Me, James Orengo, I am prepared to go back to the streets.
Which government killed Ojwang’? When Raila agreed to form a government together with President Mwai Kibaki, it was constitutionalized.
It was not through an MoU. An MoU is not as good as a marriage certificate. An MoU is not a legal document and is not enforceable. It is not registrable under the Political Parties Act.
What remains is to ask you, the youths — how many of you are prepared to fight for the people? How many of you are prepared to fight like Raila?”

And from that, it was an all-out fight, with Internal Security Permanent Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo saying they were ready for a head-to-head political contest.

“Wa se wacho wach Kenya kendo ma thurwa ka. Jok manigi yor gi moro ok waluoro gi (We have spoken about the country and our community. If some people have their separate political path, we do not fear them).
We are ready to go head to head. Candidate gi no gi kele, gi use marwa ni bende wausi (Let them bring their candidate and we bring ours and sell to the electorates. Then ji oradi — let’s face off).

The idea of conmanship and deceit in our politics must end.
Ok inyal bed oni gi odichieng’ idwa nyisowa kaka idwa siemo wang’ jotelo to in kata gima isetimo gimoro achiel kuma omiyie thuolo to oonge (You cannot pretend to criticize leaders during the day yet you have done nothing for your people).

Ka piny olil, to jatelo no ema pod ichako iluori e toké, ichako secho mondo omiyi gimoro mondo okonyi nikech gima inyalo siemo ma isetimo ne jothuru onge (At night, you sneak to the same president you criticized during the day to ask for help because you have no development record).

So the point is — your days are numbered.
Nitiere joma osewuondo ji e thurwa ka higni gi higni ma giparo ni koro ji ofuwo sana (There are people who have deceived the community for ages thinking we are stupid).

So nyis joma itelo negi gima isetimo negi.
Ne isecho mondo ogèr ni hospital, ne isecho mondo oger ni otuek, ni stadium kato ipukori.
Nikech koro iyudo ji makowi, koro ibukori ni idwa siemo wang’ President (Tell your people what you have done — you were begging for a hospital and a stadium, and now you turn around to criticize the president).”

Homa Bay MP Opondo Kaluma, a rightist, wrote on his X handle:
“That stick Kalonzo gave Governor Orengo in Bondo was ‘kamuti.’ Orengo has been saying some very strange things since then.”

Former ODM deputy party leader and Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho said they will remain in the broad-based government.

“Do not be threatened and scared by people who don’t speak on behalf of the party. Not everybody should be a spokesman. If you look at Gladys Wanga, is she someone to be threatened or scared?
What about Dr Oburu? Who are you to speak if these leaders have not spoken?
You must understand that Baba loved all of us — from the Coast to the Lake.
He accommodated us and listened to our views, and that is why we loved him.
You cannot force us to love someone. We only love the lovable,” he said.

In this pig fight, Orengo has nothing to lose, while his opponents have everything to lose — and the Governor may just go back to his old tricks to trap the loyalists in an endless charade.