By Team
A night meeting between Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga and her deputy, Joseph Oyugi Magwanga, over a possible candidate to succeed the slain Kasipul MP Charles Ongondo Were, ended in a stalemate.
Wanga arrived at Magwanga’s home shortly after 8.30 pm in the company of three top officers from the County Government and the County Assembly and left shortly after 4.30 am.
It was the first time Wanga had visited Magwanga’s home since she was elected the Governor of Homa Bay County, and sources revealed the meeting centred on the candidate to succeed Ongondo.
Wanga and her team tried to prevail upon Magwanga to support Ongondo’s son, Boyd Were, but the latter was reluctant and did not commit to the proposal.
On the table, sources told Western Insight, Wanga asked Magwanga to support Boyd and, in return, she would support his candidature for the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Homa Bay County Chairman seat.
Magwanga confirmed the visit, saying they discussed various issues and neither denied nor confirmed whether he was approached to support the son of his political nemesis in exchange for the County ODM chair seat.
“The Governor visited me last night and we discussed several issues. You are free to speculate on whatever we discussed. I have been having several visitors to my home and everyone is welcome,” he said.
Recently, Western Insight reported that attempts by a section of MPs from Nyanza, led by Wanga who is the ODM National Chairperson, to have Boyd get a direct nomination was hitting a snag and had split the party.
Wanga and the leaders recently presented Mr Boyd Were at a local church and asked the residents to support his candidature to inherit his father’s seat.
Wanga, Homa Bay Town MP Opondo Kaluma, Senator Moses Kajwang, Minority Whip Millie Odhiambo and Roza Buyu (Kisumu West) said the late Were’s son was the best-suited family member to replace his father as Kasipul Member of Parliament.
The team promised to support Boyd, who swore to stand strong with the people of Kasipul during his late father’s burial on his quest to become the next Constituency MP.
But the party’s top leadership hierarchy was uncomfortable with the move and wanted a free and fair nomination conducted to avoid any fallout in the party.
Sources told Western Insight the party was not convinced of Ongondo’s son’s capability of winning the seat should he be given a direct party ticket.
“Kasipul Constituency is volatile and the party is not ready to take any risks. I do not see Were’s son getting endorsement from the party leadership. ODM wants to contain any internal rebellion, and that is why, once the election is called, they will prefer a nomination over the awarding of a direct ticket,” said our sources.
With the recent death of Were, a number of leaders are already drumming up support for the late MP’s son, Boyd Were.
According to the ODM brigade from Homa Bay and other parts of the county, Boyd is seen as the best person to inherit his late father’s seat.
Before his death, Were was facing a herculean task from his main challengers: Mr Newton Kefa Ogada, Philip Aroko, Samwel Owida, Okindo Majiwa, Ajoh Mbuta, Omondi Swaleh, and Rateng Kotiende.
According to Wanga, Homa Bay is an ODM zone and they expect no other party to field a candidate once the by-election is announced.
“As the Governor of Homa Bay and the ODM Chairperson, we support the Broad-Based Government since that is what we promised our party leader and President William Ruto.
However, we must know that Homa Bay and the entire region is an ODM zone and we will defend, protect, and stay strong for the party.
As we plan to go for by-elections in Kasipul, Ugunja Constituencies and other parts of the country, clearly we do not want to be in competition with our allies. We want cooperation and let the ODM seats remain as ODM seats,” she said during the burial ceremony.
The Kenyan Constitution stipulates that the Speaker of the National Assembly declares a parliamentary seat vacant within 21 days of the occurrence of a vacancy. The Speaker then notifies the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), which is mandated under the Constitution to trigger a by-election to fill the vacant seat.
