Battle on as Ruto's man eyes second term in Kisii's cane rich constituency

Deputy President William Ruto’s man and one of Nyanza’s youngest legislators, Silvanus Osoro, is facing a tough fight to retain the South Mugirango seat, a rich constituency that is a haven for mining and agriculture.

Stakes are high in race for the constituency where clannism does not play a key role in determining how voting patterns pan out during elections.

South Mugirango is among the three constituencies in Kisii County that constitute single clans. The two others are Bobasi (Ababasi) and Bonachari (Abanchari).

The other three clans, Abamachoge, Abagetutu and Abanyaribari, have their clans split into two constituencies each.

Abagirango have presented candidates for governorship and Senate seats. Manson Nyamweya is vying for governorship on KNC ticket while Omingo Magara is going for the Senate seat on Jubilee ticket.

The two have in the past served as Members of Parliament in the area. The Magara family has been holding the seat for the constituency since 1997 when it was captured by Enoch Magara, who died in a 2001 road accident.

He was succeeded by his brother after a by-election. South Mugirango is home to the famous Tabaka soapstone.

The constituency was created in 1988 following the subdivision of South Mugirango and Wanjare constituencies.

It comprises six wards namely Tabaka, Bogetenga, Moticho, Boikanga, Getenga and Chitago-Borabu. Osoro, the youngest legislator from Kisii, could be staring at a second term in office should the Abagirango constituency opt to reward him in the August 9 elections.

This, however, appears not be a walk in the park as a host of candidates from presidential hopeful Raila Odinga’s Azimio One Kenya coalition mount intense campaigns for the seat.

His rivals include Denis Makori (ODM), Job Anyana (Green party) Zablon Miyonga (PDP), Kepha Ombacho (Jubilee), Daniel Apepo (UPA), and Dr Willis Omwoyo (KNC).

Osoro’s grassroots approach to politics and residence in the constituency has endeared him to voters even as his opponents dig in.

He hopes to exploit the huge fault lines in Azimio One Kenya Coalition ushered in by the sibling rivalries to win another term.

Although Raila enjoys significant support in the area, Osoro has gone against the grain and supports his UDA party boss and presidential candidate William Ruto and has pegged his campaigns around his Hustler narrative.

“Politics is about interests. I have achieved what some of my predecessors didn’t realise in 20 years. No one can claim that the constituency has had tremendous infrastructural growth,” he says.

He says, despite having not been in good books with the government, the constituency has had expansive improvement in its road network.

In 2017, Osoro won the seat on KNC party ticket against his main competitor Denis Makori with a margin of 734 votes.

Makori now hopes to wrest the seat from Osoro through the ODM party. In that poll, Osoro garnered 11,168 votes against Makori’s 10,434 votes.

According to the candidates, the track record and the plans for the region’s mining industry, as well as sugarcane farming, will be crucial in determining who carries the day.

Residents also believe the internal wrangles within Azimio One Kenya Coalition which has seen the party field several candidates against Osoro could split votes and hand Osoro another shot to lead the constituency.

Makori says he will work closely with other leaders and government agencies to ensure that locals benefit from sugarcane farming and soapstone mining in the area.

“We already have raw materials. All we need are policies on how to benefit from such materials. We should be ranking high in terms of development and social well-being,” he says.

UPA’s Daniel Apepo, who has served for terms as Tabaka Ward MCA, enjoys a network across the constituency because of his involvement in the soapstone curving industry. He maintains he is the best bet for the constituency.

“I have had the experience of serving the people of Tabaka and this gives me the knowledge on how to handle public resources and offering good leadership,” he says, adding that his priority will be to empower the poor in society and ensure that every child has an opportunity to go to school.

Dr Omwoyo of KNC enjoys the support of his party leader, Nyamweya, who is making his second attempt for governorship. He is keen on improving family economic status.

“We need to have healthy families that can provide labour to boost our economy,” says Omwoyo.

Jubilee party candidate, Ombacho, too says the constituency can be turned round in terms of agriculture and industries.

“The soapstone industry needs to be modernized by supporting sculptors and ensuring that products get to market,” he says.