NASA faces new headache in battle for Western seats

Kakamega county governor Wycliffe Oparanya addresses residents of Shianda residents in Mumias East in Kkamega county on May 26, 2017. Oparanya was a campaign trail heading to other function at Lunza in Butere. BY BENJAMIN SAKWA

As the National Super Alliance (NASA) team toured Kakamega County yesterday in a vote-hunting mission, the coalition’s affiliate parties face a fresh battle among themselves for county seats in their Western region stronghold.

The challenge stems from NASA presidential flag-bearer Raila Odinga’s recent campaign that voters in the populous Kakamega County vote six-piece, meaning all candidates for the County Assembly, Woman Representative, National Assembly, Senate, Governor and President be picked from his ODM party.

The question is, will ODM take all the seats at the expense of Amani National Congress (ANC) and Ford Kenya, which equally enjoy popularity in the region?

All the three parties have fielded candidates for various seats in the region and this infighting could give Jubilee Party the advantage of winning crucial parliamentary seats from there.

The ANC and Ford Kenya leadership and their grassroots campaign teams have already launched a spirited effort to lock ODM candidates out of Western.

Saturday, Bungoma County Ford Kenya chairman Wafula Wanunyinyi urged NASA affiliate parties not to field candidates in his party’s perceived strongholds.

“Bungoma is a Ford Kenya zone and we ask them not to field any candidate because Ford Kenya let ODM have the presidential slot. Doing so will divide votes and give Jubilee an upper hand,” he said.

Ford-K leader Moses Wetang’ula has been promised the position of Deputy Premier Cabinet Secretary in NASA but he is also expected to present his papers to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) today to defend his Bungoma Senate seat.

Sacrifice

However, ANC and ODM have fielded candidates to oppose him, the former picking seasoned journalist David Makali, while the latter handed a ticket to Boniface Nyongesa. Then there is Jubilee’s Juma Mukhwana. Lugari MP Ayub Savula said: “ODM should be contented with the presidential flag-bearer post, which ANC and Ford Kenya leaders left for Raila and leave other elective posts in this region to other affiliate parties.”

Savula and his Likuyani counterpart Enock Kibunguchi urged Raila and ODM to sacrifice and let other NASA parties sponsor candidates for all other five elective positions in Bungoma, Busia, Vihiga and Kakamega counties.

Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has also told Raila to keep of Western politics and leave locals to decide who to elect instead of campaigning for some candidates.

Khalwale, who is Ford Kenya Deputy Party Leader, is seeking to oust Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya who is also the ODM Deputy Party Leader.

Besides, there has been resentment from a section of ODM supporters who feel their candidates were rigged out of the party primaries. A case in point is in Khwisero, Shinyalu and Matungu where the nominations were marred by confusion and irregularities.

Khwisero MP Benjamin Andola and his Shinyalu counterpart Silverse Anami have since ditched ODM to contest as independent candidates.

In Bungoma and Trans Nzoia counties, Governor Ken Lusaka and Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa appear to be all set to take advantage of the competition among NASA affiliates.

NASA parties have fielded three strong candidates against Lusaka; Alfred Khang’ati (ODM), Wycliffe Wangamati (Ford Kenya) and Stephen Mutoro (ANC).

Incumbency

Whereas Lusaka is riding on the advantage of the incumbency, he also has a Sabaot running mate from Mt Elgon, which has 66,000 voters, about 50,000 of them from the Saboat community. Sabaots, who are a Kalenjin sub-tribe, have from past voted with their kinsmen from Rift Valley. In Busia, things are not any better for NASA because Funyula MP Paul Otuoma who is running as an independent has a large support base among the Luhya sub-tribes of Samia, Banyala, Marachi, Bakhayo and Batura, who are pitted against Governor Sospeter Ojaamong’s support base in Teso North and South.

Other candidates for gubernatorial seat in Busia are Michael Oloo (Ford Kenya) and Humphrey Nakitari (ANC) both Luhyas who could split votes with Otuoma and give Ojaamong an advantage.

In Vihiga, MPs Yusuf Chanzu (ANC) and Wilbur Otichillo (ODM) want to oust Governor Moses Akaranga Progressive Party of Kenya. Akaranga did not officially join NASA but has declared his support for the Opposition alliance.

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