Old guard kicked out as new parties and independents defy ODM wave

Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga. [James Omoro, Standard] The August 9 General Election has brought new faces, replacing some of the old guard who had dominated Nyanza politics. Ten years after devolution, the region also elected the first woman governor. In Kisii, three first-time candidates clinched parliamentary seats, with the longest serving MP from the region Jimmy Angwenyi (Kitutu Chache North) losing. Mr Angwenyi, 77, was first elected an MP in 1996 during a by-election following the death of Zachary Onyonka. Only Alfah Miruka of Bomachoge Chache and Innocent Obiri of Bobasi were reelected to serve their second terms in Parliament. ODM clinched three parliamentary seats while UDA took four and UPA one. In Nyamira, only North Mugirango MP Joash Nyamoko of UDA retained his seat. All the other three lost. UDA, Jubilee and ODM shared the four parliamentary seats and majority of county assembly seats went to UPA, which also took the governor's seat. The county elected one of the youngest MPs, 38-year-old Clive Gisairo. "The democratic space in Gusii is not collective. This is where voters make personal decisions when voting. Here, a voter looks at the bigger picture of who is likely to initiate development projects to uplift the lives of the common citizen," says Danstan Omari, a lawyer. South Mugirango MP-elect Sylvanus Osoro, who is in for a second term, said the community had shown maturity. "There are those who have made it a habit of imposing leaders on our people. This has been a path to underdevelopment in our region," he said. Kisii also elected one of the youngest governors, Simba Arati. Mr Arati defeated some of the country's seasoned politicians like former MPs Chris Obure and Prof Sam Ongeri. Kisii Governor Simba Arati. [Sammy Omingo, Standard] In Siaya, Ugenya MP David Ochieng, who is also the Movement for Democracy and Growth (MDG) party leader, won in a region dominated by Raila Odinga's ODM party. The MP has now joined the Kenya Kwanza coalition, making him the only in the county to be affiliated to the President-elect William Ruto's camp. "I'm proud of my party MDG because our democracy has brought out the best as we gear toward serving our people," he said. Kisumu East MP Shakeel Shabbir, who ran as an independent candidate, won the seat, beating Nicholas Oricho of ODM. This is the second time the MP defied the ODM wave in the region. He will be returning to Parliament for a fourth term. In Migori, businesswoman Fatuma Mohamed also upset the ODM party by clinching the Woman Rep seat as an Independent. She lost to ODM's Denita Ghati in 2013 and Pamela Odhiambo in 2017. Ms Mohamed garnered 154,538 votes while Ms Ghati got 117,591. After the ODM nominations in April, Ms Mohamed accused the party's top leadership of short-changing her. The county also voted for Eddy Oketch, who, in his early 30s, will be one of the youngest Senators. "The experience question in politics is often introduced to temper the ambitions and passions of young, aspiring leaders. But in fact, the stories of these young leaders demonstrate that what truly matters is not age but the clarity of purpose, a holistic sense of society and an understanding of disparate cultural and personal experiences."

Old guard kicked out as new parties and independents defy ODM wave

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