For the ODM nominee Moses Kajwang to clinch victory in the impending by-election occasioned by the demise of his elder brother Otieno Kajwang as Homa Bay senator, it will be an uphill task that might require God’s intervention as the voters in the region seem to be totally defiant and out to shame the Orange leadership for imposing the younger Kajwang on the electorate.
Raila Odinga is said to be aware of the complex nature in the by-election and has decided to go all the way to have his preferred candidate win. Raila was present during the presentation of nomination papers and addressed the first campaign rally at Homa Bay Stadium.
Sources even say Raila talked to one of the candidates to withdraw from the race. Silas Jakakimba, a one-time aide of Raila is said to have been promised support come 2017. Raila is said to have told him that since the late Kajwang was his ally, to honour him in death, it was prudent and necessary to have a family member complete his term just as it happened in Makueni after the death of Mutula Kilonzo. His son was fronted by Wiper to win the by-election. In fact come 2017, Raila has promised not to back anybody in the entire Luo-Nyanza to allow voters make their own decision to avoid embarrassment as it happened in 2013. For instance in Muhoroni, Raila choice for the seat was Ayiecho Olweny. He was defeated hands down by Onyango K’oyoo. Olweny is having difficult times as his colleagues in the academic field openly ridicule him. At his recent visit to University of Nairobi, a don confronted him and told him off. He even asked him what he was doing at the university. It emerged while serving as an assistant minister for Education, the bitter don approached Olweny for help but dismissed him from his Jogoo House office. At Maseno University, academic staff have no time for Olweny whom they claim was too proud when in government.
That things are not rosy for Raila in Homa Bay is seen in the manner he has been trying to sell the ODM candidate. The situation was even worsened by Raila’s statement at the Bondo funeral of his son Fidel in which he publicly and undiplomatically endorsed Moses as this party’s torchbearer in the by-election scheduled for February 12 2015.
Raila also introduced Moses before the a huge crowd of mourners most of them people from his hometurf of Sakwa, Bondo.
Raila turned what was expected to be a solemn sending-off and the burial of his firstborn son Fidel Castro Makarios Odhiambo Odinga into a political platform and a forum for politics about the upcoming by-election for the vacant senate seat in HomaBay county. It is imperative to note that the late Fidel was fronting for Hilary Alila while Raila was for the young Kajwang.
The endorsement of the younger Kajwang has invigorated his opponents in the region who are vehemently opposed to the party. The undemocratic choice of Moses through direct nomination, the candidate who is a political unknown in the region is the talk of town. Local political pundits and observers alike have termed the direct nomination of Moses as ‘a mockery to democratic principles’ which ODM claims to cherish through the lip services.
In fact, one Luo Council of Elders member appealed to Raila to keep off Homa Bay senatorial campaign as his active participation in the campaign has the highest high risk of permanently dividing the Luo community into two opposite camps of MPs from South Nyanza and Central Nyanza. If this happens, it could also ruin Raila’s chances of realising his ambition of winning the presidency come 2017.
MPs who are opposed to Moses held a separate meeting at Kachien home of a Kasipul politician Charles Ong’ondo to brace for a tough battle ahead of the by-election.
The opponents of Moses include Clivans Osele (Kabondo Kasipul ), James Rege (Karachuonyo), George Oner (Rangwe) and Augustino Netto (Ndhiwa ), former Rangwe MP Martin Ogindo, Philip Okundi who is also an aspirant in the senatorial race was expected at the talks. They resolved that the Homa Bay people were capable of charting their own political decision without external interference.
At the gathering in Kachien village in Kasipul constituency, a section of South Nyanza MPs who are opposed to the ODM’s nominee for the senate seat urged Raila to let the electorate pick a candidate of their choice.
Led by Rege the MP for Karachuonyo and dozen of the party county branch officials, Rege who is also the county ODM branch secretary criticised the party leadership for failing to conduct free and transparent nominations in December last year. The MP told the meeting of how on his capacity as the party branch secretary, he had the proper list of eligible delegates but it was ignored and replaced by another list prepared by unknown people before the nomination exercise was disrupted by hired goons.
He explained that it was wrong for any outsider to give the directives to the people of Homa Bay who to elect in the senatorial race.
“I have high respect for Raila, but he should allow the Homa -Bay voters to elect a senator of their own choice,” Rege lamented.
The meeting was heled at the home of Kasipul politician Charles Were. Those in attendance denounced the recent statement by Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandai who was quoted by the media as saying that Raila needs not to be physically present at the HomaBay senatorial campaign for Moses to win the by-election. They described the statement as the most arrogant, ignorant and underestimation of the intelligence of the people of Homa Bay.
Raila Odinga is said to be aware of the complex nature in the by-election and has decided to go all the way to have his preferred candidate win. Raila was present during the presentation of nomination papers and addressed the first campaign rally at Homa Bay Stadium.
Sources even say Raila talked to one of the candidates to withdraw from the race. Silas Jakakimba, a one-time aide of Raila is said to have been promised support come 2017. Raila is said to have told him that since the late Kajwang was his ally, to honour him in death, it was prudent and necessary to have a family member complete his term just as it happened in Makueni after the death of Mutula Kilonzo. His son was fronted by Wiper to win the by-election. In fact come 2017, Raila has promised not to back anybody in the entire Luo-Nyanza to allow voters make their own decision to avoid embarrassment as it happened in 2013. For instance in Muhoroni, Raila choice for the seat was Ayiecho Olweny. He was defeated hands down by Onyango K’oyoo. Olweny is having difficult times as his colleagues in the academic field openly ridicule him. At his recent visit to University of Nairobi, a don confronted him and told him off. He even asked him what he was doing at the university. It emerged while serving as an assistant minister for Education, the bitter don approached Olweny for help but dismissed him from his Jogoo House office. At Maseno University, academic staff have no time for Olweny whom they claim was too proud when in government.
That things are not rosy for Raila in Homa Bay is seen in the manner he has been trying to sell the ODM candidate. The situation was even worsened by Raila’s statement at the Bondo funeral of his son Fidel in which he publicly and undiplomatically endorsed Moses as this party’s torchbearer in the by-election scheduled for February 12 2015.
Raila also introduced Moses before the a huge crowd of mourners most of them people from his hometurf of Sakwa, Bondo.
Raila turned what was expected to be a solemn sending-off and the burial of his firstborn son Fidel Castro Makarios Odhiambo Odinga into a political platform and a forum for politics about the upcoming by-election for the vacant senate seat in HomaBay county. It is imperative to note that the late Fidel was fronting for Hilary Alila while Raila was for the young Kajwang.
The endorsement of the younger Kajwang has invigorated his opponents in the region who are vehemently opposed to the party. The undemocratic choice of Moses through direct nomination, the candidate who is a political unknown in the region is the talk of town. Local political pundits and observers alike have termed the direct nomination of Moses as ‘a mockery to democratic principles’ which ODM claims to cherish through the lip services.
In fact, one Luo Council of Elders member appealed to Raila to keep off Homa Bay senatorial campaign as his active participation in the campaign has the highest high risk of permanently dividing the Luo community into two opposite camps of MPs from South Nyanza and Central Nyanza. If this happens, it could also ruin Raila’s chances of realising his ambition of winning the presidency come 2017.
MPs who are opposed to Moses held a separate meeting at Kachien home of a Kasipul politician Charles Ong’ondo to brace for a tough battle ahead of the by-election.
The opponents of Moses include Clivans Osele (Kabondo Kasipul ), James Rege (Karachuonyo), George Oner (Rangwe) and Augustino Netto (Ndhiwa ), former Rangwe MP Martin Ogindo, Philip Okundi who is also an aspirant in the senatorial race was expected at the talks. They resolved that the Homa Bay people were capable of charting their own political decision without external interference.
At the gathering in Kachien village in Kasipul constituency, a section of South Nyanza MPs who are opposed to the ODM’s nominee for the senate seat urged Raila to let the electorate pick a candidate of their choice.
Led by Rege the MP for Karachuonyo and dozen of the party county branch officials, Rege who is also the county ODM branch secretary criticised the party leadership for failing to conduct free and transparent nominations in December last year. The MP told the meeting of how on his capacity as the party branch secretary, he had the proper list of eligible delegates but it was ignored and replaced by another list prepared by unknown people before the nomination exercise was disrupted by hired goons.
He explained that it was wrong for any outsider to give the directives to the people of Homa Bay who to elect in the senatorial race.
“I have high respect for Raila, but he should allow the Homa -Bay voters to elect a senator of their own choice,” Rege lamented.
The meeting was heled at the home of Kasipul politician Charles Were. Those in attendance denounced the recent statement by Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandai who was quoted by the media as saying that Raila needs not to be physically present at the HomaBay senatorial campaign for Moses to win the by-election. They described the statement as the most arrogant, ignorant and underestimation of the intelligence of the people of Homa Bay.
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