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Citizen Weekly

Sunday, 11 January 2015

MPs in punch-up as race to replace Kajwang hots up

Leo Odera Omolo

Two  legislators  from  Siaya  county  have  been  issued  with  stern  warning by  their  Homa  Bay  county   counterparts to avoid  visiting  Homa Bay  as  the  move  would not  be friendly to them.
The  Siaya   legislators, Jakayo  Midiwo  (Gem) and Senator James Orengo Siaya (Senate representative) have been accused  of insulting their Homa Bay counterparts  and  spewing derogatory venom against  the people  of  South Nyanza region particularly  Homa-Bay residents.
The two are alleged to have referred to  the  residents of Homa Bay county as   “backward and primitive people” while  bragging  that they Orengo  and  Midiwo would  amount the most effective  campaign  to ensure  that  their  man  of  choice  win Homa Bay senatorial  by-election which is  scheduled for  February 3  2015.
This warning followed an incident which occurred at Club 3-D, located in Nairobi on Wednesday night last week. According to sources, Rangwe MP George Oner almost  fought when  two groups  of  ODM  legislators  met  for  the evening  drinks after deliberating on the burial of the late Fidel Castro Odinga.
Oner was accompanied by the Homa Bay town MP was Peter Opondo. The two groups  then engaged in a heated tirade over the on-going campaign to elect a new Senator to  replace the late Otieno Kajwang whose  death had created a vacuum  in the  county  senate  representation.
One  group  had  complained  about the  ODM’s  direct  nomination  of  Moses  Kajwang  as  the  ODM  torch  bearer  in the  by – election. Oner group reportedly accused the    Orengo group for having denied the voters   their constitutional rights of  voting  for  a popular  candidate of  their  own choice  through  the  universal  suffrage.
The remark did not go down well with everyone in the Orengo, Midiwo axis. They are said to have  bragged  that  they will mount  the  most  effective  campaign trail  to  ensure  Moses  Kajwang wins the  Senate seat at all costs  and see  Homa – Bay  MPs  who  are  opposed  to Raila’s  choice  of Moses  Kajwang  candidature to  being  voted  out  of  Parliament  come 2017   general  elections.
The reported tension-parked discussion ended  in a near  physical exchange. It is said Orengo was among ODM leaders whose campaign caravan was met with a hail of stones at Olare market in Rangwe.
The MPs who included Raila’s elder brother Dr Oburu Odinga had also Suba MP John Mbadi in the team being forced to take cover and fled.
 Oner and Karachuonyo MP Eng. James  Rege  sources  say have warned  Siaya politicians to stop being petty and behaving like political tourist by visting HomaBay. At the same time governor Cyprian Awiti, who initially backed Karoli Omondi for the seat has made a 90-degree about-turn and now thrown his weight now behind the young Kajwang.

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