DIASPORA CANDIDATE OTIENO WAGAH JOINS THE RACE FOR NYANDO PARLIAMENTARY SEAT ON ODM TICKET IN 2007.

From: Fred Wagah

Flamboyant mortgage businessman based in Baltimore, USA Mr. Fred Otieno Wagah has declared his intention to run for Nyando Parliamentary seat in 2007 on an ODM-Kenya ticket. Mr. Wagah, an active fundraiser for Honorable Raila’s presidential campaign in the Baltimore, Washington DC and Richmond, Virginia areas hails from Kano-Kobura in Lela sub-location. Known for assisting many Kenyans come to and have a soft-landing in the USA, he is the stepson to the late Japuonj Evans Odep of HTCA, fondly remembered for having worked hard to bring unity among people of Kobura sub-clan before his death.

Otieno Wagah left Kenya for the US in 1998 through a Christian church organization to pursue his academic ambitions denied in Kenya because his father Mr. Hesbon Wagah, a tailor for an Indian company, could not afford to meet the financial demands that his children’s education entailed. Mr. Wagah went through a lot of difficulties as a youth till the time he left for the US. On graduating from high school in 1984, he studied accounting courses up to CPA but could not get a descent job. He tried to hold a fund-raising in 1997 to enable him pursue further studies in Canada through Cephas Otieno’s KANU activists, but did not get support from the likes of incumbent Nyando MP Paul Gogo, Otieno Odongo and other big personalities in Lela location.

While going through university education in the US, he never forgot about development efforts back at home. His driving Slogan ‘Winj Odit ilunyo kar tin-ne’ (translate in English) has seen him initiate several development projects in his home, starting with building his parents a descent permanent house and then his own which is still unfinished. He has organized and aided numerous fundraising projects that will see Kowalla Primary School have KCPE candidates for the first time this year. Besides, he has also made several contributions to numerous churches including HTCA church, funerals, needy people, and other schools like Kakoko, Korowe, Lela, Kobura.

He asserts that though he has not been on the ground, he has already demonstrated his generosity to the community and needs to extend this to the entire constituency. He believes that he can do much better if on the ground and given the opportunity and the responsibility to lead Nyando constituency. This can only be achievable as the area MP since his resources are limited and can’t be shared out with all the four clans, Wawidhi, Kabonyo, Kochogo and Kobura (making what is called Nyando).

His appeal goes to the Kobura clan: "Let us not force leadership. People should be judged based on the little they’ve had at their disposal and how they used it. That’s where Otieno Wagah comes in." "Since Nyando was created" he further appeals, "other clans like Kabonyo, Wawidhi, Kochogo have already been in leadership. Sharing is very important, hence the need to try wuod Kobura by rallying behind him this time around." He is already on the table trying to work something out with Joka- Abonyo, since the two clans have together been alienated for along time.

Otieno Wagah comes with a wealth of leadership experience from a foreign country to help Nyando constituents achieve a better future, which includes controlling river Nyando. In his opinion, the current MP is boasting of having managed the river but something better needs to be done, particularly with rivers Miriu, Nyamasaria, Obuso, Ombeyi and others. He intends to find ways of making recurrent floods from the rivers an ally and not an enemy as is often misconstrued by some constituents. He further intends to localize economic development through proper checks and balances, to see that people of Nyando get out of poverty by encouraging use of advanced agricultural techniques, to construct permanent buildings in existing schools with the help of the community, and to improve results in schools by 101%. He also intends to create training & job opportunities for youths working toward the promotion of Boya Youth Polytechnic into an institute of technology, and Withur to a vocational training center for artisans. Through this he quips, constituent youths will be equipped with skills that will make them competitive in the current Kenyan job market.

He further proposes proper use of youth development funds so that those willing to become entrepreneurs can get the necessary training at Ahero Multi-purpose Center, nursing homes for the elderly and disabled, and a reduction in insecurity in the area through close supervision of area sub-chiefs and chiefs. He intends to make fighting HIV/AIDS, through education and access to anti-viral drugs, construction of accessible rural roads, rural electrification and clean water top priority areas. He further intends to promote politics of unity and not division like the one currently being espoused by the current MP who allocates no development projects to Joka-Obura or Kabonyo areas because they did not vote for him. He contends that CDF is taxpayers’ money from all working individuals and should therefore be equally distributed in the constituency. Lastly, he intends to liaise with the local government minister and Ahero mayor to re- do the planning of Ahero town and demolish old buildings so that new modern ones can be put up, streets light put in place, and plots allocated fairly.

Mr. Otieno Wagah has been a force at Agwambo.com in Baltimore, Washington DC & Richmond area. He is married to Lornah Otieno and has two children, Evelyn, 9 years and Fred Jr., 1 year. He plays a pivotal role in KIDDO (Kano in Diaspora) and Anyuola Association, Inc. (Luos in Baltimore.). His house in the USA is always full with new faces from Kenya whom he accommodates till they are stable enough to move to their own apartments. This has forced him to leave his semi-detached single home purchased in 2002, while still a student, and move to a much bigger single home to carter for the needs of the visitors. If being generous or development track records is used to measure leadership, Otieno Wagah is believed to be ahead of all the aspirants by 51%.