Machage wants to move from Senate to National Assembly

Migori Senator Wilfred Machage now wants to vie for a National Assembly seat, seeking to represent Kuria West constituency in the next Parliament.

Dr Machage announced that he will not defend his Senate seat.

“I am going for Kuria West seat after wide consultations with my supporters.

“Let it be known and clearly understood that I will be contesting the parliamentary (constituency) seat,” said Dr Machage.

He, however, declined to disclose the political party on which he will contest, having fallen out with the ODM leadership on whose ticket he won the Senate seat.

“My party of choice…will be known later,” said the Migori senator.

Dr Machage has been keeping his supporters guessing since 2016, when he fell out with the Orange party’s leadership.

Recapturing the Senate seat appeared a tall order for him, given that the Luo community forms the majority of voters in the county and they are solidly in ODM.

Before becoming a senator, Dr Machage represented Kuria in Parliament for 10 years.

Sources have indicated that he will run either as an independent candidate or face current Kuria West MP Mathias Robi for the Jubilee ticket.

Mr Robi is a close ally of Deputy President William Ruto and was elected on the URP ticket in the last election.

But Kuria West ODM parliamentary aspirant Matiko Bohoko dismissed the senator’s move as inconsequential.

“He is a spent force with nothing new to offer. We are ready for a political duel with him,” Mr Bohoko said.