By Anderson Ojwang
The succession battle for the Kisumu gubernatorial seat to succeed Governor Prof Peter Anyang Nyong’o is fast spilling over to the administration and could negate the governor’s service delivery and development agenda.
Currently, key governors’ allies in influential positions have come under stern criticism and attack by aspirants and their allies, who view them as a stumbling block in their political ambitions and pursuits.
With Nyong’o’s term coming to an end in 2027, his key allies who hold influential and key positions are currently facing a storm with an aim to hound them out of the office to create space for various
aspirants point persons.
Equally, political violence is escalating in the county with most high-profile funerals turned into thuggery hot spots where various aspirants flex their muscles.
For the last two months, Nyong’o’s administration has faced a cocktail of litigations that have left some key officers sentenced. Service at the county has come to a near standstill, and employees have been left in a situation of panic and fear of an unknown situation befalling them.
The Treasury Department and the Kisumu City have become the main target as it is viewed as the aorta of the county and source of the finance base for the campaigns, which would come in handy ahead of the 2027 elections.
That is why the treasury department under the leadership of George Okongo has faced a barrage of litigations and often faced the wrath of the residents and the politicians.
Okongo is viewed as a trusted and key lieutenant of Nyong’o and is seen as a very influential person in the administration. This has made him unpopular with some quarters who want to succeed Nyong’o. Kisumu City is another focal point where the battle is currently being played.
The current city manager, Mr. Abala Wanga is a marked man by the allies and key point men of the gubernatorial aspirants.
Abala’s strong personality, mobilization skills and fearlessness in effecting and implementing the government resolutions and programs are not sitting well with some quarters that want him out of the office before Nyong’o’s term comes to an end.
Other Nyong’o’s key allies in the government and various departments have also been earmarked and there are schemes to wound them out to allow space for other plays ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The aspirants want their key persons to control the two offices because of their importance in financial mobilization and significance in the determination of the next governor.
Okongo and Abala are viewed as impediments to the political agenda of aspirants who hope to secure funds from the county to run their campaigns as it happened in the past in counties in the Nyanza region.
Already, deputy governor Dr Mathews Owili, Nyakach MP Aduma Owuor, Kisumu Senator Prof Tom Ojienda, and Kisumu Central MP Dr Joshua Oron have all expressed interest in the seat. Owili, Aduma and Ojienda all hail from Nyakach while Oron is from Kano and currently, each clan is rallying behind their sons in the hope of getting the slice of the county cake.
The race is fast opening up to be a four-man battle with Kisumu Central, Kisumu East, and Seme constituencies viewed as the determinant of who becomes the third governor of Kisumu.
Former Chief of Staff at the County Mr. Patrick Ouya says the absence of the governor and his management through remote control is giving space to battles in the county.
“The absence of the Governor is exposing the county to fights because nature abhors vacuum. This is exposing his key persons in the administration as other play want them out of the system
because their time is up,” he says.
Ouya a former Nyando parliamentary candidate says Kisumu county will not witness any meaningful development because the residents have been conditioned to election fever and currently,
politics is informing all the decisions in the county.
The Chairman of Kisumu Residents Association Mr Audi Ogada is in agreement with Ouya’s sentiments and has expressed concern
over rising political thuggery in the region.
“Currently, most politicians avoid high profile funerals because of political thuggeries. They have resorted to visit the bereaved families on the eve of burials to avoid confrontation. This is not
healthy for the region,” he says.
Audi says the political fights are spilling into the county government and the employees are likely to be the victims of such battles as the country heads to the next general elections.
“Service delivery at the county is likely to undermined and negated by the political battles. Kisumu is going to witness negative clan politics and that is why the aspirants should fulfil their manifesto to the electorates instead of engaging in premature campaigns,” He says service delivery at the county is likely to be undermined and the governor will not be able to fulfil his manifesto for the
electorates.
