COUNTY POLITICS: Ojaamong flaunts development as his trump card

Busia leaders, Governor Sospeter Ojaamong and Senator Moses Wako, at the Fourth Devolution Conference in Naivasha on March 7, 2017. The two leaders have not been seeing eye-to-eye on Busia County issues, with the former AG criticising the county government for not serving the county’s residents effectively. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong will face it out with Funyula MP Paul Otuoma in ODM primaries slated for Friday.
  • Being an ODM stronghold, it is largely believed that the winner of the Orange party ticket in Busia will have a head start in the August elections.
  • Dr Otuoma was among ODM politicians who criticised Mr Odinga, accusing him of frustrating them.

Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong is riding on his development record for his re-election campaign in a region that remains a stronghold of the Orange Democratic Movement of opposition chief Raila Odinga.

Mr Ojaamong will face it out with Funyula MP Paul Otuoma in ODM primaries slated for Friday.

The Busia primaries, the first by ODM ahead of the August polls, will be a major test for the party with the dubious reputation of conducting shambolic nominations.

ODM is also set to hold primaries in Bungoma and Turkana counties on Friday.

Being an ODM stronghold, it is largely believed that the winner of the Orange party ticket in Busia will have a head start in the August elections.

While Mr Ojaamong remains a steadfast ODM stalwart, Dr Otuoma’s resignation as the party’s national chairman last year, could turn to haunt him. Though he maintains that he is a firm ODM supporter, Dr Otuoma’s critics have questioned his loyalty to the party.

PROVE COSTLY

“Dr Otuoma’s misadventure with Ababu Namwamba could prove costly. Raila supporters are suspicious of him,” said Mr Philip Amori, a Busia resident.

Dr Otuoma was among ODM politicians who criticised Mr Odinga, accusing him of frustrating them.

While Mr Namwamba ditched Orange party, which he served as secretary-general, Dr Otuoma remained in the fold.

Also in the race is former Nzoia Sugar Company managing director Francis Oyatsi and former Kisumu County Secretary Humphrey Nakitare, who will be fighting for the Amani National Congress (ANC) ticket.

Others are former Agriculture Finance Corporation managing director Lucas Meso and his National Irrigation Board counterpart Dan Barasa going for the Jubilee Party ticket.

Ford Kenya will field Mr Michael Oloo, a businessman in real estate.

LUO BLOC

The county is mainly populated by the Luhyia, Iteso and Luo communities.

It is widely believed that Mr Ojaamong, an ally of Mr Odinga since their days in National Democratic Party where he was secretary general, will largely rely on the support of his populous Iteso group, a section of the Luhyias mainly in Nambale constituency and the Luo bloc.

The fielding of four Luhyia candidates is also likely to work to his advantage. However, Mr Ojaamong has been uncomfortable with the presentation of the high-stakes contest as an Iteso-Luhyia duel.

Mr Ojaamong comes from the populous Teso sub-tribe that dominates the two constituencies of Teso North and Teso South.

“The aim of my opponents is to try and align me to the Teso community, forgetting that I am a cosmopolitan leader.”

With Mr Namwamba’s exit, the governor and Senator Amos Wako remain the key ODM forces in the county that borders Uganda.

DEVELOPMENT RECORD

However, the governor says he will be re-elected on his development record.

“My record is unmatched. We are transforming the lives of the people of Busia. My opponents are playing divisive politics,” says Mr Ojaamong.

He says the devolved government has made significant progress in the expansion of health services, water supply, construction of community roads and agriculture.

A report by the Auditor General in February ranked Busia County the best in the expansion of health services.

“My government has made big strides in the provision of clean and safe water with over 100 solar powered boreholes already functional.

“We have also expanded road networks and purchased equipment which has enabled us to open 6,100km of new roads while maintaining 700km of roads which existed then,” said Mr Ojaamong.

CONSTRUCTED CLASSROOMS

The governor indicated that his government constructed the Kenya Medical Training Centre, where 53 students are currently undertaking a clinical medicine course.

He says they had also constructed more than 200 Early Childhood Development (ECD) classrooms across the county while Sh320 million has been disbursed to needy students. A total of Sh27 million had benefited university and college students in the form of loans and bursaries.

Other constituencies in Busia are Funyula (from where Dr Otuoma hails), Matayos, Butula, Nambale and Budalang’i, which are dominated by the Luhyia.

In the last election, Mr Ojaamong was elected under a power sharing agreement that saw the Iteso get the governorship while the Luhyia got the Senate seat.

POLITICAL SYMPATHY

But Dr Otuoma’s candidature appears to have disregarded the 2013 power pact. Moreover, Mr Wako has differed with the governor, whom he accuses of misappropriating county funds.

Dr Otuoma says his candidature was driven by a desire to boost investment in the county and create jobs for young people.

He accuses Mr Ojaamong of using propaganda to win political sympathy.

“We cannot afford to lose this seat and I want to tell my brother Ojaamong to be ready for us. We are not going to look at a party. What we are keen on is to sell our agenda to the people so that they can give us the mandate to lead them,” says the former cabinet minister.

“Our people are suffering from unemployment because all the factories meant to bridge this gap collapsed a long time ago. The only way to address this is by reviving them. Corruption has also taken a toll on Busia and we need to root it out for us to make progress.”

GREATER HEIGHTS

Dr Otuoma highlights achievements in his Funyula Constituency, as evidence that he was capable of taking Busia County to greater heights of development if elected governor.

He says that through reforms in the education sector, Funyula Constituency achieved a 98 per cent transition rate from primary to secondary schools and has consistently rated among the best performing constituencies in the country at both primary  and secondary level.

With changes in the management of the CDF and bursaries, the area has one of the best schools, with all primary schools connected to the national electricity grid. From one one girls’ secondary school when he took over, Dr Otuoma says, heavy investment in the education sector has seen this number rise to five.

“To ensure that our health facilities are well-equipped at all times with personnel, equipment and drugs, Hon Otuoma  assisted in the upgrading of Sio Port health centre to a sub-county hospital in addition to putting up 10 new health centers,” says a statement from his campaign team. 

STREET LIGHTING
Other achievements, according to Otuoma, are the sinking of nearly 150 boreholes, street lighting and improvement of existing road networks in Funyula constituency.
But Mr Ojaamong has accused Dr Otuoma of playing the tribal card.

The governor describes Dr Otuoma as a man who cannot be trusted following his move to quit the party before “making a return through the window.”

“My faith in ODM is beyond reproach. Being a seasoned politician for over 25 years is no mean achievement.”

The governor has indicated that he will retain his Deputy, Kizito Wangalwa, who hails from Butula Constituency, in a move seen by many as bait for the Luhya vote.
Mr Wangalwa has been campaigning aggressively for his boss. 

IMPRESSIVE DEVELOPMENT RECORD

Mr Wangalwa says it is difficult to remove a sitting governor who has an impressive development record.

According to the electoral commission, Teso South of Jubilee’s Mary Emase has 48,309 registered voters, up from 41,835 in 2013. Matayos has 46,476 compared with 41,222 in 2013. Butula has 46,076 up from 40,803 in 2013.

Teso North enlisted 42,015 against 37,213, Funyula 36,199, Nambale 34,654 (30,881) and Budalang'i 30,164. The other candidates, Mr Barasa and Meso of Jubilee and ANC’s Nakitare are making their maiden attempts.

And in a region that remains firmly in ODM, the Jubilee candidates faces an uphill task. But they are exceedingly optimistic.

Mr Nakitare, who recently ditched ODM for Mr Mudavadi’s ANC, said he was out to offer good governance.

His defection was seen as driven by fear of facing the two Busia political heavy weights, Mr Ojaamong and Dr Otuoma in the ODM primaries.

The former District Commissioner says he wants to ensure equitable distribution of resources in the county.

CORRUPTION AND NEPOTISM

“We urgently need to address the issue of corruption and nepotism which has been a major undoing of the current government. I believe together we can and when given opportunity, my government will foster seamless leadership that provides for public participation.

He has pledged to revamp Busia Town’s dilapidated infrastructure, staff health facilities, revive collapsed factories and open up Funyula border point to ease traffic congestion and boost economy.
Mr Nakitare claims he left the Orange party because of ANC’s better policies.

Ford Kenya’s Mr Oloo says he wants to inject fresh blood into management of the county.

“As a member of Ford Kenya my role is to work for the people without discrimination. I recognise the fact that Busia is a cosmopolitan county and as Ford Kenya, we are ready to form an all-inclusive government,” he said.

While the governorship race promises to be tight, the Senate contest may be a smooth ride for Mr Wako, the former Attorney General, who has been given a direct ticket by ODM.

DIFFERED SHARPLY

He will be facing activist Okiyah Omtatah of Ford Kenya, whose presence on the ground is yet to be felt. Mr Wako and Mr Ojaamong have differed sharply on the affairs of the county.
Last month, the Senate’s Public Accounts Committee said that the county government had embezzled Sh354 million.

Mr Ojaamong, however, denied the claim saying the county government had satisfactorily responded to queries by the Auditor General.

He accused senators of witch-hunt.

Prof Okumu Bigambo, a lecturer at Moi University’s School of Human Resources and Development, says Mr Wako’s long experience in government gives him an upper hand.

Prof Bigambo warns that rivalry between senators and governors will hurt devolution.

“Governors feel they are kings of devolution because they have power to control resources in the counties. Senators, on the other hand, play the oversight role,” he adds.