Kisumu
  21/12/07
 
SEVEN PEOPLE NETTED FOLLOWING THE TUESDAY KILLING OF DALMAS OTIENO’S SUPPORTER IN RONGO ELECTION VIOLENCE.

By Leo Odera Omolo

With only five days left before Kenyans go to the polling stations countrywide to elect the next President, two hundred and ten Members of Parliament and close to 2800 civic leaders, the Electoral Commission of Kenya has summoned an assistant minister and five parliamentary aspirants for questioning over the widespread election violence.

The electoral commission of Kenya (ECK) has also asked the police Commissioner Maj. Gen. Hussein Ali to turn up and explain what his force is doing to deal with the rising criminal cases of campaign violence countrywide.

In Kuresoi, area of Molo district in the Rift Valley Province close to 20 people have perished in what is generally viewed as politically motivated killings connected to the on going campaign.

In the Mt. Elgon more than 200 people have lost their lives in the past six months. All the killings have what is regarded by the local residents as something to do with political overtone and squabbles over land ownership by sub - clans.

In Kuresoi close to 60 family dwelling houses have been burnt and razed to the ground. Property worth millions of shillings have also been destroyed in the mayhem. 16,000 families have fled their homes and taken refuge to the missions and other places for safety.

The recent disturbances in Kuresoi area is likely to have a diverse effect on the voting pattern. Many people, especially those who have been forced out of their homes and were now camping miles away could be defranchised as they will not be able to for walk miles away to cast their votes unless other election logistics are put in place such as mobile polling stations.

In Western Province the election violence have occurred in Malava constituency in Kakamega where the supporters of the Housing Minister Soita Shitanda have clashed with the supporters of his rival Musavini Nambwa resulting in several vehicles being smashed. Scores of people sustained serious bodily injuries. A sugar cane firm belonging to the Minister was set ablaze and razed down by the enraged villagers.

Shitanda is contesting the election on New Ford Kenya Party while his rival Nambwa is an ODM candidate.

Similar incidences have also occurred in Funyula and Budalangi in Busia district.

In Nyanza Province three people have died in election campaign violence. The fired was an 18-year-old man who was run over by an aspirant’s vehicle in Nyakach constituency, Nyando district.

The second death took place at Kadika Primary School in East Suna location, Migori district, where a youth supporter of the ODM candidate John Pesa was stabbed on the chest and died instantly. The incident occurred when supporters of the immediate former MP for the area Charles Oyugi Owino (Jalikowa) who is vying for election on Narc ticket against John Pesa of ODM violently clashed at a public rally.

And in the neighbouring Rongo constituency in Rongo district score of people among leading traders and businessmen in Awendo town as well as a number of youths, were taken into custody for questioning in connection with the last Tuesday, brutal murder of Mr. Oricho Nyandere a supporter of the former cabinet Minister Dalmas Otieno who is contesting the election on ODM ticket against the immediate former MP for the area George Mbogoh Ochillo Ayacko of Narc.

Among the suspects being interrogated by the police are the campaign managers, financers, and stategists of Ayacko who is contesting on Narc party, which is lead by Charity Ngilu after losing the ODM nomination to Dalmas Otieno with a large margin of 7000 votes.

Those taken into police custody for questioning include Lawrence Oginda Omire, Dennis Abade, Maurice Ondugo, ex-Councilor John Jowi Ayuka and R. Onyando and Ochillo Ayacko’s personal aide, Manjit Khan. All are businessmen and traders at Awendo Town.

A total of seven people had been taken into police custody by Thursday evening.

Ayacko himself spent close to five hours while being questioned by police and was later allowed to go home.

A number of youths who were arrested soon after the incident which took place at Nyakuru in Central Sakwa location at about 4 pm are said to have implicated the three prominent businessmen and a former civic leader.

According to the Nyanza PPO, police are still pursuing three other suspects who are still at large and have also been mentioned by the captured suspects.

According to sources villagers who witnessed the skirmishes which resulted in Mr. Oricho’s death are said to have identified some of the alleged assailants.

The seemingly besieged former MP Ochillo Ayacko has exonerated himself from the accusation saying that his supporters were involved, saying the incident occurred while he was away in Nairobi.

Meanwhile rumours making the round within Awendo town and its environs indicated that a good number of hired political goons have prior to the incident pitched tents in the town.

The thugs are said to have been recruited from far places outside Rongo on 500/- fee per day on the alleged instruction of a senior politician. The alleged presence of the youths had caused a lot of panicking among the residents of Awendo and Rongo towns.

These thugs are reported to have attacked people and slashed them with pangas senselessly on the slightest provocation or over political agitation over as to who deserve to be elected to represent the area in the next parliament!!

The electorate appeared to have made up their mind on who is their next MP.

In Bondo where Dr. Oburu Odinga defending his seat he’s against an NGO boss Ochanda several vehicles were on Thursday pelted with stones and their windscreen smashed. Ochanda’s convoy was attacked in Bondo town perhaps in retaliation of an incident that would also in other Dr. Oburu Oginga and a few of ODM campaign had their public rally disrupted at Usenge in Yimbo.

This is Kenya’s fourth general election since the re-introduction of political pluralism and it is only five days away following the fiercest campaign that have raised the country multiparty democracy a notch higher.

President Mwai Kibaki who won the year 2002 elections with an overwhelming majority over in the rival Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta who had been picked by the retired President Daniel Arap Moi as his successor. Kibaki campaign was headed by his current arch -rival Raila Amolo Odinga at the time when he was being hospitalized following a near fatal road accident on the Nairobi - Machakos road.

It is hard for anyone to precisely predict the outcome of this year’s election and as to who will be the next occupant of the State House.

But popular opinion polls conducted by the various respected companies conducting public opinion have given Raila Odinga of the ODM a clear victory in six provinces against President Kibaki’s two provinces.

Raila is advantaged by the fact that he had his campaign team christened the Pentagon the most articulate and eloquent speakers whose words in public rallies would shake the earth contrary to the Kibaki election team which is comprised of old fashioned politicians with stale ideas most of them handicapped with the lack of vital tool of campaign which is the language. The Kibaki team spent most valuable time demolishing Raila, the trailed to demonstrate few political and marginality.

Should Kenyans reject Kibaki, it will be the beginning of now trend in which no future president would be sure of re-election after the first five-year term.

But this year’s electioneering process braved to be major dent on the development of political portion in the country. Major parties’ battles for the presidency with exception of KANU had unstable structures on the stand.

The election has exposed political parties in Kenya as empty sheep without serious ideologies and the proliferation of political parties for profit making.

On Friday 3 vehicles in the convoy of Ugenya ODM candidates James Aggrey Orengo were pelted with stones. Orengo escaped unhurt but his driver was not lucky. He was killed on the spot