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Citizen Weekly

Sunday 30 November 2014

VACANT ODM SEATS SPARK FRESH INTRUGUES IN KISII

Kitutu Masaba MP Timothy Bosire’s nomination by ODM as the national treasurer has not gone down well with a section of Abagusii leaders who now claim they have been shortchanged. ODM leader Raila Odinga now seems to be sending mixed signals to ODM leaders in the region who have technically ditched the party and are now dancing and dining with Jubilee.
The seat of national treasurer has been vacant after Omingo Magara left it and the Kisiis have always maintained that the seat is their preserve and true to their words, it went back to them.
Analysts now say Raila has used the new list to stamp his authority by leaving out those he now perceives to have switched loyalty. Bomachoge Borabu MP Simon Ogari who has been lobbying to take the slot is a disappointed man. The problem with Ogari is that he has of late been very close to Jubilee leadership something Raila and his allies have never liked.
Kisii county deputy governor Joash Maangi is equally a disappointed man. He has been lobbying for the seat and according to well-placed sources, at a given time, he was a close Raila ally and even his naming as running mate to Governor James Ongwae was on Raila’s intervention.
Maangi and Raila have been close buddies and in the run-up to 2013 elections, Raila had wanted Maangi to hold his horses and not to contest the Bomachoge Chache seat against his cousin Ogari. By that time Ogari was Raila’s trusted ally.
It was after negotiations that Raila and Maangi struck a deal to armtwist Ongwae to accept him as running mate as there were threats of rebellion against Ongwae from both Bomachoge Chache and Borabu. 
Those who brokered the deal to have Bosire take the slot say Maangi has since his election switched camps and is perceived to be a Jubilee sympathiser. It is against such fears that ODM leaders claimed he cannot be relied on since he is more Jubilee than ODM.
Apart from deserting his party ODM, Maangi has also fallen out with boss Ongwae whom he has been secretly campaigning against as he eyes governorship in 2017. Sources say he is plotting to be CIC chairman Charles Nyachae’s running mate on Ford-People ticket.
To tame rebellion in Kisii, Raila has tactically appointed Bosire who comes from Nyamira county and to counter Maangi, he has also appointed former ODM executive director Janet Ongera who is now nominated senator to the position of secretary for parliamentary affairs (Senate). Ongera comes from Kisii county and contested the Ksii senatorial seat and lost to Chris Obure during ODM primaries.
By appointing Ongera, it is now being whispered that Raila could be preparing her to be Ongwae’s running mate 2017 since Maangi is widely believed to be on his way out of ODM. One school of thought has it that should Maangi find going getting tougher, he is likely to go back to the Bomachoge Chache seat as rumours are rife that Ogari is doing his final term as age is not on his side. There have been talks that Manson Nyamweya could also be lobbying to be Ongawe’s running mate in 2017.

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