RAILA SHOULD NOT IMPOSE OTIENO KAJWANG' AS SENATOR.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Otieno Kajwang'

By Mdadisi Mmoja

The sudden change of heart, by Immigration Minister Gerald Otieno Kajwang’ to move to contest for the Homa-Bay County Senate seat instead of defending his otherwise safe Mbita parliamentary seat, has thrown political thinkers in the region into total confusion. Political pundits were quick in suggesting that the Minister’s move is a “big blunder and perhaps a political suicide”, that could see the Minister’s early exit from local political derby in the region. For Kajwang’, a man who has done very little on the ground in his Mbita constituency, in terms of development, to win voters hearts in the much wider eight parliamentary constituencies would be an up-hill task.

Local pundits, however, maintains that the move has some political connotation and intrigues involving a grand secret scheme suspected to have been hatched with the blessing of the Prime Minister Raila Odinga for the purpose of creating a safe parliamentary constituency for the entry into parliament by the young son of Raila’s long serving aide to his late father, the late Mbewa Ndede. The late Ndede, was among several Luos who were rounded up by the KANU regime under the retired President Daniel Arap Moi and taken to the Nyayo House Torture Chambers, tortured and later prosecuted for being members of the outlawed “Mwakenya” underground movement. The late Mbewa Ndede was convicted on his own plea of guilt and sentenced to five years imprisonment with hard labor. He completed his jail sentence and after his release from prison he succumbed to injuries which he had sustained during the interrogations at Nyayo house, and died.

The rumor making the round have it that Raila Odinga wants to compensate the
family by supporting the youthful Eng T.J.Mbewa who works with the
Roads Ministry as an engineer. Insiders have informed the weekly vision that Raila Odinga is interested in sponsoring one wealthy NGO executive in the name of Phares Ogweno Ratego a resident of Rusinga East Location. On June 19th this year Raila Odinga attended the burial of one Mrs Turphena Agutu Okombo in Kolo village, close to the homes of both Ratego and the nominated MP Millie Odhiambo, Before flying out to Ndhiwa where he President Mwai Kibaki and other government leaders attended the burial of Mzee Michael Ojode Oteno, father of Assistant Minister for Internal Security Joshua Orwa Ojode at Ratang’a Central Kwbwayi in Ndhiwa district. Millie Odhiamb is by far the favorites to voters in Mbita due to her consistency and enormous and regular contributions in parliament on issues of national importance. She is has yet to make up her mind as to whether she would be running for the County women Senate seat or the Mbita parliamentary seat. Kajwang’ decision to switch position from defending his parliamentary seat to the wide open contest of the County Senate seat is viewed by local political pundits a an act of gross miscalculation and an act which could easily cost him his long, rewarding political career. The Immigration Minister was among the youthful politicians who had branded themselves as the “Young Turks” who together with other joined hands with the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and vigorously campaign for the re-introduction of politics of pluralism, which saw the death of the old KA NU as ruling party. He won the Mbita seat during the first multi-party election in 1992, and has repeatedly successfully defended his seat ever since. The Minister, however, had a lackluster performance and poor track record in terms of development, something which could not augur well for his ambition to become the Senate representative,
Homa-Bay County, which covers eight parliamentary constituencies and perhaps the largest in this region. He will therefore join the race for the Senate seat with less than 10 per cent support and backing from his home constituency to battle with others in areas unknown to him.

The Homa-Bay County Senate seat covered areas like Gwassi, Mbita,Ndhiwa,Rangwe,Homa-Bay Town, Karachuonyo, Kasipul and Kabondo.His chances of galvanizing votes in Kasipul and Kabondo constituencies is almost nil. This is because it was Otieno Kajwang’ w