By Sandra Blessings
The battle for the 130,148 votes in Kisumu Central constituency has begun in earnest, with various aspirants rolling up their sleeves for the contest.
This time, Kisumu Central constituency contest has attracted youthful aspirants, with Edward Onyango, popularly known as Bob CEO, leading the pack.
Bob CEO, a respected Kisumu-based businessman and philanthropist, is unsettling the political order in the city and emerging as one of the top contenders.
The soft-spoken and humble businessman is viewed as a potential Member of Parliament for the city, engaging in various development projects, and enjoys the family brand that has become synonymous with the lakeside city.
Onyango enjoys the brand of his grandmother, the first Kisumu woman mayor and the first woman Member of Parliament, the late Mama Grace Onyango.
Mama Grace was not only a woman of many firsts, but also became the first woman Deputy Speaker and was respected for her honesty, truthfulness, support to the needy and vulnerable members of society, and her non-controversial nature.
Mama Grace was admired for her leadership, which was people-driven and transformative, and when she retired from politics, she settled to run family businesses and enjoy family time.
Her grandson, Bob CEO, has inherited the character and virtues of his grandmother and has been steadfast in helping orphans, the needy and the vulnerable by supporting them through school fees payments and the provision of basic needs.
“It is a calling for me to share and support the needy and orphans by supporting their education. In education, you are building a successful community, and that is my ideology. This is one of the reasons why I am persuaded to be the next MP, to expand this noble initiative,” he said.
Bob CEO also enjoys the brand of the Kisumu populous eating joint, Akwacha, known for its mouth-watering delicacies and as the city’s home of food.
Bob CEO has grown the franchise into one of the leading hospitality brands in the country, with branches in Nairobi and Siaya County.
His business acumen and strategic investment knowledge would be ideal for the city, which is on an expansion trend, helping to blend and provide the much-needed leadership in transforming the lakeside town.
**“I have a vast wealth of knowledge and, with engagement with the governor of the day, I am convinced we can take the city to the next level. I am tested and proven in my management and leadership skills.
Running the hospitality industry is very challenging, and having people trust your brand for decades is a show of honour and confidence in your management.
That is why I am asking the 130,148 electorate of the city to show me that confidence and trust at the 2027 ballot. I am prepared to be the change they want,”** he said.
Bob CEO has presided over and sponsored several medical camps in the constituency and is committed to talent development by supporting sports activities in the city.
He has been instrumental in agitating for the rights of the vulnerable and has been at the forefront in opposing the move to relocate the Jua Kali sector from their business points.
“I have presided over several empowerment programmes in the constituency and donated to various start-up businesses to jump-start them, and I am happy that the majority are doing well. I constantly mentor them, and that is my happiness,” he said.
Bob CEO enjoys wide support from the youth, who identify with him as one of their own and see him as a truthful and honest leader whose background is well known and respected.
The business community also see him as one of their own who will articulate their agenda. Equally, he enjoys the support of women, Jua Kali artisans and men, who believe he can offer the kind of leadership his grandmother, Grace Onyango, offered the city.
The current MP, Dr Joshua Oron, has switched his attention to the Kisumu gubernatorial race, leaving the seat open for grabs.
Bob CEO is not leaving anything to chance in his quest to be the next Member of Parliament for Kisumu Central and has embarked on elaborate campaign strategies to win the seat.
