By Anderson Ojwang
The return of Kisumu’s founding governor, Jack Ranguma, in the county gubernatorial contest has destabilised the equilibrium and opened old wounds.
Ranguma’s return has stirred the political waters and displaced the already emerging political formations and alignments.
On Saturday, at a burial in Nyando, political temperatures rose and exploded, with Kisumu Central MP Dr Joshua Oron and his allies demanding that Ranguma declare his support for their candidate.
But the non-controversial governor, along with Nyakach MP Aduma Owuor, also an aspirant for the governor’s seat, left the burial in protest.
That marked the opening of the battle front, with Ranguma taking the battle to the doorsteps of Dr Oron, former gubernatorial aspirant Dr Hezron McOmbewa, former parliamentary candidate Patrick Ouya, and Ambassador Fred Outa over what he termed as betrayal of the people of Kano and Kisumu County at large.
100,000 strong votes for take-off
Governor Ranguma starts the race to recapture the seat with 100,000 strong votes in his pocket. In the 2017 general elections, Ranguma, then an independent candidate cheated out of the ODM ticket through the infamous Thurdibuoro polling centre, garnered 148,851 votes against then Senator Anyang’ Nyong’o’s 263,117 votes.
In 2022, Ranguma once again braved the strong ODM and the late Raila Odinga wave but lost to Nyong’o again, garnering 100,600 votes against the incumbent’s 319,967 votes.
Betrayal in the city
Ranguma over the weekend accused Dr Oron, Dr McOmbewa, Ouya, and Amb. Fred Outa of betraying the people of Kano by conniving and taking away the governor’s seat to Seme.
“It is Oron and his people who removed the leadership from the hands of Kano, and they cannot come here to pretend that they want to bring back the leadership. Why did they betray the people’s cause, and why did they leave the government they formed?” he asked.
Ranguma said Dr McOmbewa, despite knowing he could not win the gubernatorial race, opted to compete against him in the ODM primaries to spoil for him.
“I told him, ‘Dr McOmbewa, do not compete with me; go for the Muhoroni parliamentary seat.’ He refused, saying that was a small seat. Why is he now interested in the governor’s seat? Do not elect him. He was a spoiler and should never be trusted,” he said.
But Oron dismissed Ranguma, saying that in the 2013 ODM primaries, he mobilised to ensure that Ranguma’s victory was not stolen.
During that time, ODM had settled on Raila’s younger sister, Ruth Odinga, who ended up becoming Ranguma’s deputy in a power arrangement brokered by the ODM supremo.
“Some people ran away from the funeral because we had tough questions to ask them. I have supported my people. When Ranguma vied for governor in 2013, I was a wanted person, and I had to seek refuge in Homa Bay, for those who do not know. Why is he not supporting me now? In 2017, I was Ranguma’s chief agent. So I have supported Ranguma,” he said.
Kano’s preferred candidate
Ouya and UDA political activist Joshua Nyamori said the Kano clan had resolved to support Dr Oron as the sole gubernatorial candidate from the area.
“From all our votes, we must gather them and vote for Dr Joshua Oron, and that is the declaration,” he said.
Ouya told Ranguma that it was time he supported Dr Oron for the unity of Kano to reclaim the seat.
But Ranguma said there was no preferred candidate from Kano and that the people will decide at the ballot.
“You have come with a vuvuzela to be praised that Kano has endorsed you as the sole candidate. Which Kano is that? Did you hear where the people of Kano endorsed a candidate? Show me. We, the people of Kano, can sit and decide our future,” he said.
The expired drugs
Ranguma said there was a group of which he was the patron, including some of his betrayers, before the fallout.
“When I became the governor, I gave them a tender for drug supply after the victory. I was satisfied with my salary, and I decided to give them a tender to supply drugs. They supplied expired drugs, which were not fit for human use. That was the fallout and why they began to fight me,” he said.
Broad-based candidate
Kisumu County UDA chairman Mbuta Ayugi, speaking at the burial, said Dr Oron was the broad-based candidate.
“The candidate for the broad-based governor is Dr Joshua Oron. Let us unite behind Oron to bring development to Kisumu,” he said.
This declaration is likely to puncture Dr Oron given the changing political climate in Kisumu, with the majority of residents shifting allegiance to Siaya Governor James Orengo’s Linda Mwananchi faction of ODM.
Rating
Dr Oron was rating high in the gubernatorial contest, but the return of Ranguma is likely to alter the political equation.
Already, Kisumu Senator Prof Tom Ojienda, Kisumu Deputy Governor Dr Mathews Owili, Aduma Owuor, and Kisumu West MP Rosa Buyu have expressed interest in the seat.
Goodwill
Ranguma enjoys goodwill from Kisumu staff and the business community over his leadership style, which appealed to the majority.
He also has projects in his name in every corner of the county, and this could act as a plus in his pursuit of a final term.
Will Kano unite to recapture the seat, or will Nyakach have the last laugh?
Kisumu politics is likely to get juicy ahead of next year’s August general elections.
