Kisii leaders bury hatchet, pledge to back Raila quest

By Kenan Miruka  

Vote hunting: Insiders believe with latest unity pledge and support of former South Mugirango MP Omingo Magara, who is eyeing Kisii senate, the chances of premier garnering majority support in the vast region are high

Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s quest to marshal political support in Kisii got a boost when local leaders reconciled and rallied behind the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy.

Trade Assistant minister Manson Nyamweya, who previously shunned rallies organised by Public Works Minister Chris Obure and former PS James Ongwae joined the two for rallies in his South Mugirango constituency.

In a rare show of unity, Nyamweya who is a member of the ODM Reloaded team, and the other leaders including Assistant minister Simon Ogari braved heavy rains to campaign for Raila last weekend.

The move comes three weeks after a reconciliation meeting between Obure and Ogari in Kisii town. The two leaders who had differed over the delimitation of boundaries of a new constituency in Bomachoge, agreed to bury the hatchet.

“We have now formed a formidable team to achieve our ultimate goal, which is to secure all available seats in Kisii County to ensure a Raila win in the March 4 elections. Problems that may have existed between us have been resolved. We will work as a team to win,” said Obure.

Speaking at Ikoba, Nyamweya said they had decided to work together for the interest of the party.

“We are here to tell you that only Raila has the ability to solve the problems that bedevil this region. Only through his government can Kenyans reap the benefits of the new Constitution. We have agreed to work closely for the sake of the party,” he told residents.

Differences between Nyamweya and Obure came to the fore following the first series of ODM Reloaded rallies in Kisii and Nyamira counties where some leaders accused the South Mugirango MP of undermining grassroots party officials, including Obure.

Sharing seats

Nyamweya later expressed his displeasure with a proposal by the ODM Kisii County Executive Committee on a formula of sharing seats based on clans. He walked out of an ODM Mashinani meeting organised by Obure at the Kisii Sports Club in protest.

In the formula, each of the six clans in the county got seats; Senator (Bobasi), Governor (Kitutu-Chache), Women Representative (Bonchari), Speaker (Nyaribari), Deputy governor (Bomachoge), and county executive officer (South Mugirango). Nyamweya instead fronted former Bomachoge MP Ferdinand Obure for the post of Governor, saying the two Bomachoge constituencies deserved the crucial seat to counter the influence of Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Ongeri, who is eyeing the post of senator on TNA ticket. Obure and Ogari had also differed over the boundaries of the proposed Gucha constituency that merged sections of Bobasi and Bomachoge, contrary to proposals made to the Ligale-led boundaries review commission.

While Obure supported the new constituency boundary, Ogari opposed it and got his wish when the Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) reversed the delimitation and split Bomachoge constituency.

“We have come here to iron out differences that have been haunting the two constituencies. We want to forgive one another and work together for prosperity,” said Ogari.

The bad blood between Obure and Ogari had dented ODM’s support in Bomachoge, giving TNA’s Ongeri an upper hand, in the area, which has more than 70,000 voters. The reconciliation therefore boosted the chances of Obure getting support for his senate bid.

Obure defended his development record saying during his tenure as a Minister for Agriculture, he fought for the construction of Eberege and Itumbe tea factories in Bomachoge and Bobasi, respectively. He acknowledged the fact that reconciling with the people of Bomachoge was crucial in his bid to get support from the area.

Onyonka was reportedly prevailed upon to drop his bid for the Governor in favour of Ongwae to embolden ODM’s support in Kisii.

After keenly watching the developments in ODM, Ongeri has intensified his campaigns, holding meetings with various leaders.

Ongeri, who is a key Jubilee ally in Kisii, warned the community against supporting the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy, saying it was likely to lose elections.