Kisumu
7/11/07
 
PANICKING FORMER LUO MPS HAVE SPONSORED PROXIES CANDIDATES TO SPLIT THEIR STRONG OPPONENTS VOTES.

By Leo Odera Omolo
 
Nyanza province an area which is arguably perceived to be an ODM stronghold is full of political intrigues in regards to the forthcoming party nominations of parliamentary and civic seats.
 
Well established and seasoned politicians have planted proxies’ candidates everywhere in an attempt to undercut and undermine those they perceived to be strong and credible opponents.
 
The name of the controversial exiled Archbishop Gilbert Deya is also featuring prominently in Rongo as one of the alleged sponsors of a parliamentary candidate in the area.
 
Proxies candidates are reported to be in nearly all the 21 parliamentary constituencies, but the most affected are Nyando, Kasipul Kabondo, Rongo, Kisumu Town West, Gem, Muhoroni, Rangwe, Migori, Karachuonyo, Uriri, Ugenya and to lesser extent Mbita.
 
The strong rumour currently making the round in Kisumu and its environs is that a good number of former Luo MPs in the ninth Parliament have deployed all tricks in the book to ensure they sail through the ODM crucial nomination exercise.
 
These tricks include the sponsoring of financially weak candidates who hail from the home turf areas of their strong opponents with the hope of splitting votes and weakening their political clouts perceived strong opponents either real or imaginary.
 
Allegations of massive bribery and corruption are so rampant. In some constituencies people who hitherto could not afford a battle of soda or a cup of tea in local hotels have surprisingly sprung up to riches and managed to deposit the colossal amount of money with the party headquarters where they duly returned their nomination papers after parting with Ksh. 120,000 nomination and membership fees.
 
Kasipul - Kabondo is leading in having more proxies’ candidates, who it is being alleged to have been sponsored by the former MP Paddy Ahenda as his votes splitting strategies to outwit his opponents.
 
These strategies of votes splitting among the sponsored proxies candidates had worked in Kenya in the previous general elections, but at a very limited scale. May be only one or two candidates in a very special, but isolated cases had succeeded.
 
Those being rumoured to have been sponsored by Paddy Ahenda specifically for the purpose of votes splitting if duly nominated by the party secretariat as expected their candidature would have negative effect on the targeted candidates by way of splitting home locations voting system.
 
The aspirants, whose names are featuring in the allegations as being sponsored by the immediate former MP for Kasipul Kabondo included in the alleged scam are Dan Were of KENDA. He hails from Kokwanyo in North East Kasipul - Kabondo, Sam Rateng Otiende from Kanyango - Kowidi, Zacharia Muga from Kodumo - Kabondo, a Mrs. Arogo who hails from Kotieno Kochich in West Kasipul, Paul Mboga of KENDA party who hails from Kodera in West Kasipul and Odingo Odak from Konyango in Central Kasipul.
 
The idea is to scuffle the influence of popular candidates in their home turf thereby weakening their chances of winning the preliminaries.
 
Another trick is that the former MPs have allegedly used the CDF money which they used in purchasing brandy new pick-up vehicles, which have painted in the ODM orange colour for the purpose of hoodwinking the electorate that the (former MPs) were the official candidates anointed by Raila Odinga. The vehicles are fitted with loud speaker and Raila Odinga’s name as the one who has donated them to the former MP his blessings songs reigns the air where these vehicles goes.
 
Uriri constituency is another area, which is full of proxies’ aspirants. The former MP Herman Odhiambo Omamba is alleged to have sponsored two candidates in Kamgundho in desperate attempt to cut down the influence of the Nairobi based wealthy business tycoon Mr. Cyprian Ojwang’ Omolo, who is on the lead and currently giving the rapidly ageing former MP sleepless nights.
 
Those whose names are featuring prominently as allegedly having been sponsored to split the votes include a Mr. Ondu  Abade from Kamgudho. Mr. John Oketch Awiti  an accountant by profession and a businessman in Nairobi. He hails from Kamreri in the east of North Kanyamkago location around Papori area. And so is Mr. Ondu Abade who is a man of no fixed abode, but have been an ODM operative and a youth winger.
 
In Rongo constituency close to six aspirants are alleged to have been sponsored by the outgoing MP George Ochillo Ayacko purposefully to split and cut down the popularity of his strongest opponent Dalmas Otieno.
 
The majority of the alleged proxies candidates come from Kamagambo region, which is Dalmas Otieno home turf. The alleged proxies candidates include George Odero who is a brother in law of the former MP. He hails from central Kamagambo.
 
A notable proxy aspirant is Mr. Job Okuna Oyugi who is the son of former powerful PS in Charge of Provincial Administration and Internal Security the late Mr. Hezekiah Oyugi. He hails from the Kanyajuok sub-clan (Oyugis) clan whose members are said to be jittery with Otieno. The MP by sponsoring Job Okuna is hoping that he would capitalize on the long-standing feuds between the late Oyugi’s family and Mr. Otieno. The aspirant hails from South Kamagambo location.
 
Other aspirants suspected to have been allegedly sponsored by Ayacko include Mrs. Jane Okendo a former subordinate staff with the government. She hails from Kanyawanga, central Kamagambo. Joseph Onyango Ngore from East Kamagambo. Ong’ondo N’gani from north Kamagambo Kamwango.
 
Mrs. June Okendo whose daughter is married to the elder son of the self-styled and self-exiled Archbishop Gilbert Deya is said to be loaded with money allegedly co- sponsored by the controversial clergyman who is currently trailing extradition case in a London court and Ochillo Ayacko to undercut Dalmas Otieno. The Kenya government had filed the extradition proceeding in a Britain court for Bishop Deya to be repatriated back home to face the charges of child trafficking.
 
Festus Oluoch Nyamula hails from south Sakwa near Mariwa Market. He is believed to be acting independently.
 
Judging from the long list of parliamentary hopefuls who hail from Dalmas Otieno’s home turf of Kamagambo region one can easily come to the conclusion that most of these candidates are acting under sponsorship with the purpose of locking Dalmas Otieno out of the race for Rongo seat.
 
The former MP Ochilo Ayacko is a resident of Sakwa East. There are several other locations in Awendo division like Sakwa West, Sakwa North, Sakwa central, Sakwa east and Sakwa South. But the field is less crowded with aspirants unlike the Kamagambo region
 
In the case of Kasipul - Kabondo constituency the residents have issued a stern warning to the sponsored candidates who hope to act as the proxies of former MP Paddy Ahenda that they will be in for big trouble.
 
ODM youth leader Mr. Maurice Aguko Mayera said the electorate in the area have already been sensitized about the existence of proxies candidates.
 
In Kisumu Town West where the immediate former MP the Rev. Ken Nyagudi is Mr. Joshua Nyamori from Kolwa area of Kano sub-clan. Another who is suspected to have been sponsored as a proxy candidate by Rev. Nyagudi is Mr. Jagero Otiende who hails from Korombo sub-clan of Jo-Kisumo. He is an offshed of Rev. Nyagudi.
 
Rev. Nyagudi, according to sources in the lakeside City is facing eminent defeat by a prominent Kisumu lawyer John Olago Aluoch and has since devised new tactics of sponsoring candidates in areas he and his cronies perceived to be the strongholds of Mr. Aluoch.
 
He is also facing Prof. Larry Gumbe from the ODM secretariat and Mrs. Rose (Dwasi) Buyu who has put up some of the most expensive election billboards in down town Kisumu.
 
Also in the race is a former KANU supremo Mr. Shem (Kwega) Onyango who Rev. Nyagudi had beaten narrowly in 2002.
 
 
Ends.
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com .