Storm over Orengo, Oburu deal threatens to blow Siaya governor race off course

Dr Oburu Oginga’s decision to pull out of the race for the Siaya Senate seat has raised a storm that is sweeping across the county’s political landscape.

The Bondo MP and his Ugenya counterpart James Orengo reached a deal to support each other for the gubernatorial and Senate seats respectively.

Although the agreement saved the county from a potentially disruptive battle between its most experienced politicians, it has not been received well by other aspirants in the gubernatorial race, most of who are political debutants.

The agreement effectively clears the way for both politicians to get what they want. Both had initially sought the ODM ticket to contest the Senate seat, a move that had caused tension that had threatened to destabilise the party’s grassroots base in the county.

Speaking at the Orange House in Nairobi, the two said they had to come to an agreement for the sake of the party and the country at large.

“The party and the country are greater than all of us, and therefore, in the interest of peace, my honourable desire is neither here nor there. This consensus is the best solution for this problem, my happiness notwithstanding,” Dr Oginga said.

Political differences between the two had already stirred up emotions among party supporters with each forming camps that would openly clash in rallies.

The notable leader for the Orengo camp was Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo, whereas his Rarieda counterpart Nicholas Gumbo seemed to be leading the Oburu camp.

Hostile reaction

Mr Orengo seemed to anticipate the hostile reaction to the pact when he said other politicians interested in vying for the two seats could still apply and face off at party nominations.

Their pact has pulled the rag from under the feet of a number of aspirants interested in the governor’s seat, who had allied themselves to either side.

Many of Dr Oginga’s rivals feel he has chickened out of a battle with his equal and are likely to use this against him in the campaigns.

The aspirants are also unhappy with the manner the agreement was announced, saying it was selfish and against democracy.

“It is wrong for party secretary-general Anyang’ Nyong’o to announce that two people have agreed on what posts to take; those posts are not for the party,” Mr Julius Okinda, one of the aspirants for the position, said.

Another aspirant, Mr Gideon Ochanda, said that they were working together with Mr William Oduol and Mr Okinda and will form a formidable force that “will give Oburu a competition of his lifetime”.

“Chances of us coming up with one aspirant to be backed by others are very high and Oburu should brace for a tough battle,” he said. He asked the party to carry out free and fair nominations for the ticket.

“We are all in ODM and we are not planning to move out, so we will use every means possible to ensure that the party primaries are done fairly,” he said.

Mr Oduol, who is currently out of the country, wrote on his Facebook page:

“I welcome Dr Oburu’s official confirmation of his intent to run for Siaya county governor position. He must however prepare himself for the mother of all battles. The people must be given the opportunity to choose their leaders. This is a statement that must go out to all those that want to take us back to the days of one party rule.”

Another aspirant, Mr Felix Okatch, said his options included defecting to another party “where there is democracy”.

“The era of handpicking leaders is long gone and I want to state clearly that my name will have to be on the ballot on whichever party ticket, parties are many and we can’t be tied to where there is no democracy,” he said.

Mr Cornel Rasanga seemed to take a soft stance on the matter, saying, he would support the party decision.

To some observers, the  senate duel between Dr Oginga and Mr Orengo would have not only affected the contestants for the other seats, but could have implications on the politics in the county and country.

Retired teacher Job Magero said a win for Dr Oginga, however fair it could have been, would be perceived to have been influenced by the fact that he is the Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s brother.

His loss on the other hand would have meant that the Odinga family was losing its grip on Luo Nyanza.

“The PM was in a Catch-22 situation. Whichever way the race would have gone, it would have  attracted applause and discontent in the same measure,” Mr Magero says.

Mr Orengo, the only ODM aspirant for the senate seat as at now, will face Catholic nun-turned-politician Agnes Salome Awuor who will vie as independent candidate.

Charged atmosphere

Ms Awuor noted that although most politicians were concentrating on seeking party tickets, she had a head start because she was already engaging voters directly in a less charged atmosphere.

“Most of those seeking seats are hoping to ride on political party euphoria but unknown to them, the electorate have changed and are now more liberal in their thinking,” Ms Awuor said.

Among the aspirants for the governor seat, Mr Ochanda is the only one with some political experience as he has run against Dr Oginga for the Bondo seat and lost.

The women’s representative position has attracted Dr Christine Ombaka, Dr Concilia Ondiek, the widow of fomer Ugenya MP Stephen Ondiek, Ms Emilly Awita,  Ms Phoebe Nyawalo  and Ms Monica Obura.

Behind the scenes, there is horse-trading with suggestions that the senator, governor, governor’s running mate, women’s representative and county speaker be drawn from different constituencies.

Beyond the political dynamics, the candidates for the top seats are likely to emphasise their economic blue prints for the county.

Top on the list is likely to be how the would-be leaders will create a suitable investment climate for both the locals and foreigners, maximise revenue and improve the infrastructure.

Siaya is a county with abundant water resources in rivers Yala and Nzoia, which empty into Lake Victoria and Lake Kanyaboli.

With rich soils and a predictable rainfall pattern, the county could be a big agricultural producer if the resources were utilised well.

This is not happening currently as the county imports most of its food.

The Dominion Farms has, for example, tapped into fish farming, rice and horticulture, a move many believe would inspire other investors to put their money in the county.

The older generations are nostalgic about fishing, sugarcane farming, cotton growing and horticulture, which were once their mainstay but which have over the years sunk into the doldrums.

Ndere Ginnery in Alego Usonga is an example of one of the industries that have collapsed due to lack of raw materials. The Lake Victoria portions in Bondo and Rarieda have by and large been reduced to fish suppliers to factories in Kisumu and Thika.

This has not gone down well with the fisher folk, who have argued that they are the least beneficiaries in the chain.

A push for cold storage facilities and eventually a factory could tilt the vote from the lake shores.

Abundance of fruits in Rarieda is also likely to rekindle the quest for the establishment of a factory or value addition programmes to boost farmers’ income.

Siaya county has been viewed as the cradle of education in the region, with schools such as St Mary’s Yala, Maseno, Maranda, Sawagongo and Lwak Girls producing some of the most prominent people in the country.

Other than the reputation of being the birth place of the father of the US President Barack Obama, Siaya boasts of big names in politics such as Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Achieng’ Oneko, Wasonga Sijeyo, Argwings Kodhek and Grace Ogot.

Tomorrow: Nyeri County