Kisumu,
  19/12/07

ANOTHER POLITICAL VIOLENCE DEATH HAS OCCURRED AGAIN IN RONGO AS FORMER MINISTER HOME CAME UNDER ATTACK BY GOONS.

By Leo Odera Omolo

Another election campaign violent death has occurred in Rongo constituency Rongo district

The latest brings the death toll in Rongo alone to three people. They have lost their dear lives in election related violence.

Oricho Nyandere was hacked to death by a gang of hired political goons while on a campaign trail. Witnesses say the victim was shot with arrow and later finished with a pangas. The attack took place at Nyakuru market in South Kamagambo location in Rongo

He was one of the campaign managers of the former cabinet Minister Dalmas Otieno who is vying for Rongo seat on an ODM ticket against the immediate former MP George Ochillo Ayacko. The latter had lost to the former during the party preliminaries with a big margin of 7000 votes.

Ayacko however was nominated to contest the election on Narc party ticket. Reports emerging out of Rongo say the former Energy and sports Minister is defiantly using the ODM colours despite having lost the party ticket to Mr. Otieno at the nominations last month.

The death of Nyendere come only four days after another supporter of Dalmas Otieno had his dwelling house doused with inflammatory liquid like petrol. His assailant wired the house of Mr.Gordon Achila at Ochodororo village from one side.

Achilla raised alarm and the villagers came to his rescue. A number of suspects were picked up for questioning by police. The incident occurred in South Kamagambo location Rongo

Two weeks ago youth by the name Otis was beaten to death by his assailants near Ulanda Market South Sakwa in Rongo districts

According to a source Otis was hit with the Rongo on the forehead and died instantly following a heated, political argument at a ‘Changaa’ drinking den.

A large number of hired goons, most of them people suspected to have come from far a field like Kadem, Karungu and Kaler are said to have pitched camps in Awendo town where they are said to be available for hire to ferry out dirty jobs for money.

About three previous deaths in recent past allegedly connected with Rongo politics have taken place in Awendo and its environs, but these killings remained unresolved. Suspects were quickly released from police custody following the intervention of a senior politician in the area.

In Muhoroni constituency in Nyando district about 50 hired goons had invaded the rural home of a former cabinet Minister Mathew Onyango Midika ready to unleash terror. The incident took place on Monday at about 4 pm.

Midika was saved by quick action by police from Nyando and Kisumu. The goons ran helter skelter and disappeared in the nearby sugar cane plantation.

On Tuesday another bunch of goons suspected to be supporters of the immediate former Muhoroni MP had blocked the main Miwani - Chemelil road. But quickly dispersed on realizing that the police were closing in.

The former MP Prof Ayiecho Olweny is fighting for his political survival. He was beaten hand down by a former banker Joseph Omulo Okal by more than 1000 votes during ODM preliminaries, but he mysteriously received his party clearance through the back door.

In Nyando, the electorates have vowed to reject the ODM nominee Fred Outa citing his limited standard of education and arrogance. It is being alleged that the aspirant is semi-illiterate.

Voters in Nyando have vowed to vote for the immediate former MP Eng. Eric Opar Nyamunga who lost to Fred Outa in the much flawed ODM nomination. Nyamunga has a clean track record of development.

Five constituencies have become so volatile and life threatening with youth who are armed with crude weapons roaming around threatening to unleash terror on the voters who will support their opponents.

These are Rongo, Nyando, Ugenya, Rangwe and Kasipul – Kabondo.

The government has been urged to instruct the police to carry out massive dragnet in order to get rid of hired political goons at Awendo and Rongo towns and search for illegal weapons.

Undesirable characters and people with no fixed abode should be removed out of Awendo and Rongo towns. This is because these people are responsible for lawlessness and insecurity in the area.

The residents of Awendo have requested the police to the open fresh investigation files of all the deceased people whose mysteriously deaths in Awendo of suspected political goons should be investigated affront, said one resident who prefer

Both Dalmas Otieno and the opponent Ochillo Ayacko could not be reached for that comment.

Ends

leooderaomolo@yahoo.com