Why Azimio Is struggling to win The Support of Kabras in Kakamega County

Azimio la Umaoja One Kenya Alliance Presidential Candidate Raila Odinga with a section of political leaders from Western Kenya 

 By Andanje Wakhungu

As the campaigns for the August 9th poll hit the homestretch, political supremacy has emerged in Kakamega County between Kenya Kwanza and Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance. The latter is trying to infiltrate the former’s stronghold in a bid to secure a sizable number of followers to catapult Raila Odinga to the Presidency. In recent weeks, Azimio has traversed the Malava sub-county in a bid to secure a good percentage of votes before the general election.

 To ensure that Azimio gains control of votes in Malava, Raila Odinga himself has twice led his brigade to the sub-county to drum up support for his coalition with the ODM aspiring governor Fernandes Barasa his deputy Ayub Savula, aspiring MP Joab Manyasi and aspiring MCA’s working overboard, Ward by Ward in a meet the people tour to woo voters. They have held meetings with delegates from each Ward to scout for more votes before holding public rallies at least twice a day. The people of Malava, through the (Kabras Declaration), issued the following demands in exchange for their votes: The elevation of the sub-county to municipal status, upgrading of the Malava sub-county hospital to level five status and equipping it with adequate drugs, securing five slots in the next county government for Kabrasis with the top most being the County Speaker, two Ministers and two Chief Officers besides the tarmacking all inroads within Malava town Centre.

The demands came in the wake of a reality check that confirmed that Azimio was a sitting duck as far as Malava politics is concerned with at least 125,000 registered voters up for grabs. Support for ODM fizzled out unceremoniously after the Baba-led party turned tables on the purported Kabras leadership by incapacitating the then ODM county chairperson who doubled up as Kakamega County Deputy Governor Professor Kutima in favour of Shinyalu MP Kizito Mugali before the position was wrestled off him and awarded to ODM county Youths leader Moffat Mandela.

The move was followed by the governor, (Oparanya) dropping Kutima as his preferred successor in favour of Fernandes Baraza. Some people now alleged that Fernandes Baraza is a close kinsman of the outgoing governor. The move angered the Kabras voters who felt their time to lead Kakamega County had come knocking after their kin served as Deputy Governor for two consecutive terms. The Azimio side which terms the Kabras votes as elusive ever since (ODM) (CORD) and (NASA) came into being under the stewardship of Raila Odinga in 2002,2007 and 2013 says they have never enjoyed the region’s political backing with the Amani National Congress (ANC) party leader Musalia Mudavadi being the most preferred candidate among the Kabrasis votes. The revelation comes about after both Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leaders Raila Odinga (party leader) and his Deputy Wycliffe Oparanya expressed their dissatisfaction over the little support they were getting from the region despite (ODM) being a national party with a massive following countrywide.

  Malava constituency support for (ODM) withered after the dropping of Kutima as a county (ODM) chairman and later as (ODM) Kakamega county gubernatorial contender, a move that triggered off political discontent among his supporters, leaders and clansmen from his Kabras backyard and sooner than later, nominated senator and some members of the county assembly on the ticket jumped ship with most of them joining (ANC) with others having no party to accommodate them joining Azimio affiliate parties including DAP Kenya as some went Independent after Orange leadership made it clear it was only interested in fielding strong contenders who could deliver the Kabras votes easily.

Worse still was the fact that (ODM) despite its members joining other political outfits within Azimio, gave them directives to step down in favour of preferred candidates from the Ward, County and Parliamentary levels with promises being made to those who agreed to step down for appointment to various positions in both County and National Government when Azimio takes over power.

 After Oparanya visited Malava sub-county offices to commission departmental chairmen and their members who will work with the community administrators last month, he openly lashed out at the Kabras voters for not voting for Raila and instead voted for Jubilee with himself getting a paltry 11,000 votes as governor from the region and went on to belittle Professor Kutima for his failure to build himself politically when he was at the helm of the county leadership both as ODM county chairman and a two-term Kakamega County Deputy Governor saying he failed to use his position to marshal support for himself and the party effectively.

Oparanya went on to state how he nominated Senator Shiyonga and how after they gave the county Women Rep ODM direct ticket to Elsie Muhanda, Shiyonga had agreed to shelve her ambitions and support Muhanda as a return favour to her nominations as she awaits a county appointment.                                                                   

The governor is on record saying as a party they had met with the Women Rep. and struck a deal something Shiyonga fondly known as Mama Signal denies furiously terming it as political propaganda meant to weaken the strong support she currently enjoys across the region and maintains that she will be on the ballot come August.

 Hardly three weeks, Oparanya leading other Azimio stalwarts were in Malava again in South Kabras Ward Ingavira primary grounds drumming support for Fernandes Barasa where he purposely recognized the aspiring ODM Malava MP candidate Joab Manyasi as their candidate of choice against DAP Kenya's Caleb Sunguti who was also present and hails from the sub-county. The move infiltrated Mr Sunguti, he called for a presser to denounce the move. He now supports Kenya Kwanza's gubernatorial candidate Cleophas Malala instead of Fernandes Barasa of (ODM) Azimio and further threatened to support William Ruto’s Presidential bid for what he termed as sabotage of the highest order.

 On her part, Mama Signal has categorically said she is standing put to the last minute after she felt that the upper Kakamega especially Malava sub-county was politically locked out of any political seat and was playing second fiddle despite being the largest sub-county in the county with 125,000 registered voters set to cast their vote this year.

Mama signal argues that the only position left for upper Kakamega that includes, Lurambi, Malava, Matete, Lugari and Likuyani is the county women MP slot noting that governorship candidates were both from lower Kakamega, Women rep current from Central Kakamega Senatorial positions also from central and hence she was the only contender from Kakamega North seeking an elective position after residents cited lack of adequate development compared to other sub-counties.