By Habil Onyango
With the countdown to the Wednesday, August 10, 2027, election underway, several aspirants have already launched grassroots campaigns to popularise their manifestos among voters.
In Homa Bay Town Constituency, five aspirants have already expressed interest in unseating the current Member of Parliament, Peter Opondo Kaluma.
They are former Rangwe legislator Martine Ogindo; former Homa Bay County Secretary CPA Isaiah Ogwe; management consultant Enosh Bolo; entrepreneur Noah Ochola; Commissioner Emmanuel Okach; and computer expert Teddy Opiyo Matete.
The aspirants have initiated various projects and are already shopping for political party vehicles they plan to use in the election.
However, there is a silent war among the aspirants who plan to vie on either the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) or the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), which account for a larger share of supporters in the region.
Backlash Over the Call for Zoning
The call for zoning has met with a negative reception from some aspirants, who feel they might be locked out of participating in the elections through UDA or ODM nominations if it is implemented.
Zoning has stirred emotions in Homa Bay and across the entire Nyanza region between ODM and UDA, which are part of the Broad-Based Government.
A number of political leaders affiliated with ODM in Homa Bay, including Governor and party National Chairperson Gladys Wanga and Kaluma, have been pushing for a clear zoning strategy between UDA and ODM that protects their traditional strongholds and secures independent regional control.
They argue that, in order to support William Ruto’s re-election, UDA should not field any candidates in regions currently held by ODM.
Further, they are demanding that positions be divided on a 50-50 basis, with the Deputy President position going to them if Ruto runs for the presidency.
The proposed zoning is intended to prevent “friendly fire” between ODM and UDA candidates in ODM’s traditional bases, ensuring the party retains its influence.
According to Kaluma, the call has stirred emotions, created camps and, unfortunately, exposed a worrying level of misinformation, even among leaders who should be guiding the narrative within ODM.
“Let us speak plainly to our people: zoning is not a direct nomination,” said Kaluma.
“Zoning is a political strategy, one that mature parties in partnership use to maintain order, manage diversity, and ultimately secure victory,” he said.
“It is about each party strengthening their house in order to have numbers in Parliament,” Kaluma added.
“It is not designed to lock anyone out, but to ensure that the partnering parties do not fight against each other while opponents organise,” the MP noted.
“Also, zoning does not mean the absence of other political parties, and popular candidates in the ODM strongholds in Nyanza who may not want to vie on other party tickets can still vie, for example, on a TIP TIP ticket, without any fear,” he said.
According to Kaluma, direct nomination, on the other hand, is a completely different process. It is the direct issuance of a ticket without a contest, and those deliberately confusing the two are not just misinformed; they are misleading the people for selfish political gain.
Ogwe says the call for zoning is a way of infringing on voters’ right to elect leaders of their own choice.
He said Kenyans fought for multi-party democracy, during which many people lost their lives, and they should not be taken back to that era.
“Every voter has a democratic right and freedom to elect the candidate of their choice, regardless of political party. Why do some individuals have plans to take us back to a single-party state in the name of zoning?” Ogwe said.
“Let people vie; we know it is being said that ODM has strong grounds in the Nyanza region and especially Homa Bay. It makes no sense when a strong party now calls for zoning,” Ogwe said.
“Why doesn’t the party use its strength and face voters to elect its candidates? We must allow everyone to make their own decision, including those who will be vying as independent candidates. Zoning is just a way of saying that we should go back to the single-party system,” Ogwe said.
Ochola said no to zoning, emphasising that the roadmap to 2027 is paved with competition.
“To lead is to be tested; there is no middle ground. For serving, let the record speak, and for those of us aspiring, we present a clear print for transformation,” he said.
“True leadership is not handed out; it is earned through the fire of competition and the will of the people,” he said.
Bolo termed those advocating for zoning as people building castles in the air.
He said only the late Prime Minister Raila Odinga earned the people’s respect and loyalty and commanded their true allegiance.
“Those leaders who are in dreamland will wake up to the reality that the political landscape has changed with Raila’s demise,” he said.
“It is absurd to think otherwise. Our people will vote for leaders of their choice, leaders in whom they have full confidence in their ability to represent and advocate for their interests,” Bolo said.
“Baba lost the 2022 elections due to zoning by 700,000 votes. Zoning or no zoning, non-performing political leaders are going home,” Bolo said.
“They and their leeches should not hide under zoning, which will disadvantage my President Ruto,” he said.
He told Kaluma that President Ruto needs votes and that the only way he could help him drive high voter turnout was to allow healthy competition across the board, rather than zoning.
“You have been elected three times. Just show your development records instead of sowing division amongst the proposed UDA-ODM coalition members,” he said.
UDA Secretary-General Hassan Omar had announced that they would field candidates without yielding to the notion of zoning or predetermined entitlements.
He said that leadership is not inherited or reserved; it is earned through the will of the people. Even within a BBG, the principle of contests must stand, for it is through open competition that legitimacy is secured and true representation is realised.
Ogindo, however, noted that the proposal was only meant to undermine democracy in the Luo Nyanza counties.
He argues that those championing the zoning arrangements have failed to serve the electorate and fear competition from UDA, which continues to make inroads in the region.
“The democracy we fought for was to give every Kenyan the right to elect leaders of their choice, not to impose leaders on them,” Ogindo said.
“The call for zoning, especially in the ODM strongholds, is meant to kill the democracy that Kenyans fought for and also to force voters to accept non-performing ODM leaders,” he said.
According to Ogindo, ODM leadership should popularise the party and stop relying on the late Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s popularity, since he is no longer with them.
He said that democracy was introduced to allow the people’s aspirations to be realised by voting in development-oriented leaders, rather than having decisions made on their behalf.
Ogindo alleges that some leaders in ODM have formed an oligarchy in which, after acquiring wealth, they feel they are in a position to make decisions for others. He added that people must be allowed to exercise their democratic rights and elect leaders of their choice without interference from anyone.
Matete, however, bases his aspiration on better education, improved healthcare, clean water for locals, better roads and infrastructure, jobs for the youth, and the empowerment of women and girls.
“Under my leadership, we will transparently distribute bursaries to our learners, construct ICT hubs in every ward, improve sanitation, and provide clean water to our people,” he said.
