RE: Nyatike 2007:Uphill task for Ogur

Jothurwa,

I find Juma Aluoch the Kenya Times Bureau Chief in Homa Bay more objective in his report.

Jagwassi

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Ogur faces uphill task to retain seat

By JUMA ALUOCH

Nyatike constituency is among the political hotbeds in Nyanza province.

It borders Lake Victoria to the West and Tanzania to the North West, while Uriri, Migori, Ndhiwa and Gwasii constituencies also share borders with it.

Unlike the neighbouring constituencies like Migori and Uriri - endowed with vast agricultural potential, Nyatike is semi-arid with fishing being the main economic activity in the area.

Administratively, Nyatike comprises of Karungu, Muhuru and Nyatike divisions. It has a total of 44, 653 registered voters for this year’s elections as per the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) statistics released in January this year.

The constituency has since 1994 been involved in a number of by -elections occasioned either by deaths or defections of the incumbents.

The current mood in Nyatike indicates that the incumbent MP Ochola Ogur is set to face a gigantic political battle in his bid to retain the seat.

Ogur is particularly said to be having a nightmare on how he would convince the electorate as to why he had not fulfilled some of the pre-election pledges he made prior to the 2002 elections.

Four years down the line, the feeling on the ground is that the MP had not lived up to expectations and is set to face an uphill task to convince the electorate on why they should vote him back to Parliament.

The MP, therefore, is currently under pressure from his constituents who insist that it is pay back time and Ogur must fulfill the pledges he made to them before seeking a fresh mandate.

With this kind of scenario, it is clear that the MP will have to fight hard to convince Nyatike voters to re-elect him.

A flashback to the 2002 party nominations reflect the controversial circumstances in which Ogur won the Liberal Democratic Party – Narc ticket, with the returning officer, the late David Oyamo, strangely delaying announcing the results for almost a week.

After a lot of jostling and boardroom intrigues in a Kisumu hotel, Ogur who had just completed his tenure as a nominated councillor at the Migori County Council was finally handed over the nomination certificate.

What is, however, clear is that Ogur this time round, is set to face a formidable team that comprise some of those politicians he had allegedly outmaneuvered during the 2002 party nominations, as well as other newcomers.

A notable politician who the majority believes is set to offer a stiff challenge to the incumbent MP is a prominent Nairobi businessman Edick Omondi Anyanga.

Currently his name resonates across Nyatike, with the majority in the area referring to him as “Omuk Lela”.

Anyanga’s strength may also be the massive resources he boasts of and his organizational skills as a politician. He is, therefore, certainly the man to watch.

Anyanga hails from Kolal clan in north Kadem and ranks as one of the politicians who despite the fate suffered in the 2002 party nominations, opted to maintain close links with the voters on the ground.

As a result of his constant touch with the people of Nyatike, Anyanga currently enjoys wide support from Kaler, Muhuru, Karungu and Kadem sub-clans.

He has to date participated in a lot of development projects of which a number of people including civil servants have benefited – especially his donations of motor bikes.

Through his personal initiative, Anyanga established ‘Omuk Lela Education Trust Fund’ that has benefited 81 orphans both in secondary and primary school.

It is believed that with the massive resources at his disposal coupled with his experience in the area politics, ‘Omuk Lela’ is widely tipped to turntables on Ogur.

He has also launched ‘Omuk Lela Youth Fund’ – a revolving fund in which the youth from the area borrow money for various projects. There is also ‘Omuk Lela Women Fund’ – a similar revolving fund for women.

Anyanga has conducted harambees for more than 100 churches in the area – in Muhuru, Karungu and Kadem. He is also credited with launching of a housing project for widows in which over 10 widows have already benefited.

Anyanga says that apart from orphans who have benefited through ‘Omuk Lela Education Fund’, he has paid schools fees for many disadvantaged children in the constituency, and recently conducted a harambee in aid of 40 students of Got Kowuor in South Kadem, Macalder division.

His motor bikes’ project has also benefited outstanding teachers, chiefs, and party leaders. And recently he donated computers and printers to teachers in Karungu division.

The other aspirants include the director - National Anti-corruption Campaign Steering Committee Polycarp Omollo Ochillo.

Ochillo’s interest in politics dates back several decades and were among those who participated in the controversial nominations of 2002.

Interestingly, soon after the nominations, Ochillo was among those politicians who retreated to the city and where he subsequently landed his current job.

As part of his campaign strategy in 2002, Ochillo promised to sink several bore-holes in Nyatike as part of his contribution towards alleviating acute water shortage in the area.

At one stage, he was accompanied by a group of foreigners who had pledged to undertake the projects.

Almost five years down the line today, the projects were yet to take off thereby evoking bitterness among the area people.

Ochillo may also be compelled to justify his position at the National Anti-corruption steering body by stating how he has used the position to the benefit of his constituents.

Another politician who faced Ogur in the 2002 poll is Migori-based lawyer Kennedy Okong’o, a well-known ally of the MP.

Okongo who hails from Kanyuor clan was among the few beneficiaries of Ogur’s tenure as he was appointed as the chairman of the controversy-ridden Nyatike Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

It is important to note that since Nyatike CDF is among those that have been riddled with controversies over alleged mismanagement, Okong’o must be prepared to defend himself against a host of allegations that await him.

Some of the allegations include claims that Okong’o allegedly rented out his own premises as the CDF office and earns Sh30, 000 as rent month.

He will also have to explain claims of alleged irregular procurement of CDF projects and further allegations that majority of the tenders for the projects have been awarded to a firm linked to his wife.

Among the newcomers in the race include a Kenyatta University lecturer, Dr Mark Ogutu who hails from Kanyarwanda clan.

Ogutu is a first timer in politics and is said to be banking on his alleged closeness with the Odinga family to woo the voters.

The seat has also attracted a female aspirant Mrs Sylvia Ogur Tinga who hails from the incumbent MP’s home area of Kakoth in Central Kadem.

But her candidature has elicited sharp condemnation from the MP who believes she has allegedly been planted in the race to frustrate his re-election bid.

The other new entrant is a former Kenya Army officer, Major Retired Wasulwa from Muhuru.

An immigrant from Suba District, Major Wasulwa is banking heavily on votes from his Suba community both in Muhuru East and West locations.

Another aspirant Tom Kasera from Karungu feels that time had come for the people of Nyatike to get a new leader who can harness the available unexploited resources.

He believes he has both resources and ability to network so that various donors can bring money to Nyatike and change its face.

The race for Nyatike parliamentary seat may not be complete without the names of perennial contenders among them former two-time area MP Zablon Owigo Olang.’ Olang whose contract as the chairman of Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) was recently extended, hails from Karungu.

Commonly referred to by the locals as ‘Gogni’, Olang is said to be still considering whether to resign from the LBDA job and make another go for the seat.

Also from Karungu division is Dr Adar Korwa, the founder secretary-general of University Staff Union (UASU), who is reported to be planning a comeback after making a first attempt to win the seat during the 1997 poll.

What is clear is that the race for the seat is likely to be fiercely contested and that only those with proper organizational skills and superior financial muscles are likely to sail through.

But another key factor is that only the aspirants who have been synonymous with ODM-Kenya are certainly going to have a head-start.

It goes without saying that the aspirants who have been associated with political parties like Narc-Kenya were likely to be shunned by the local voters a majority who are ODM-K supporters.