Kisumu
17/10/07
 
ODM FACES SERIOUS PROBLEM IN MBITA AS RAILA INSIST ON OTIENO KAJWANG’ RE-ELECTION AGAINST THE WISHES OF THE ELECTORATE.

By Leo Odera Omolo
 
A group of political elite in Mbita Constituency, Suba district have come forespitting insisting that the area will have a strong candidate against Otieno Kajwang’ the incumbent MP for the area whether the ODM like it or not.
 
They said they would seek a candidate not allied to ODM. This followed information that Raila Odinga has prevailed upon Mr. Samy Wakiaga a populist aspirant to stand down in favour of Hon. Kajwang.
 
The group said they were already ahead exploring the possibility of getting a candidate of their own. This is following the allegation that the most popular candidate Mr. Samy Wakiaga has chicken out of the race under pressure and threats from Raila Odinga.
 
Information reaching us say the Mbita constituents are pressurizing Prof. Wakiaga Ogweno Orwa to stand against Otieno Kajwang’ on any other party ticket not necessarily that of the ODM.
 
Prof. Orwa who is currently working for the Graet Lake University in Kisumu is a former Professor of Education at Maseno University however; he could not be reached immediately. He is an uncle of Mr. Wakiaga.
 
In such political scenario, the electorate in Mbita would  vote for Raila Odinga in his presidential bid, but would not vote for Otieno Kajwang’ as expected by the ODM luminaries.
 
The group said they had no quarrel with Raila Odinga, but would not vote for Otieno Kajwang’ under all circumstances no matter what pressure and where such pressure comes from. ‘’We have the people who are capable of defeating Otieno Kajwang’ hands from even if such a person would stand on a ticket of one of the little known political parties’’, said a Mbita resident Mr. Sam Otieno.
 
Mbita electorates view the pressure on Wakiaga to stand down in another way of marginalizing them because they belonged to the minority Suba sub clan.
 
The controversy surrounding Mbita constituency has re-kindled the old historical enemity dating back to 1957 when the late Tom Mboya then a trade unionist stood against the then Luo prominent lawyer from Central Nyanza, the late Mr. CMG Argwings Kothek in what was then known as Nairobi Area Constituency in the Colonial Legislative Council.
 
The late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga had invited the youthful Tom Mboya to his house and told him to stand down in favour of Mr. Argwings Kothek. Mboya flatly refused to budge and went on and beat Mr. Kothek with a clear majority of over 300 votes. Mboya was a Suba from Rusinga Island, though not related to Mr. Sam Wakiaga.
 
Fifty years later Raila Odinga is involved in similar political maneuvers by pressurizing another ‘’suba’’ man from the same Rusinga Island to stand down in favour of unpopular Otieno Kajwang’ a fellow Luo against a popular candidate Mr. Samy Wakiaga who is a suba.
 
The small Suba community now view the latest development as an attempt to marginalize the ‘’suba’’ people by the neighbouring majority Luos. ‘’This is unacceptable,’’ said one Mbita resident who wished to maintain his anonymity on fear of possible reprisal.
 
The Mbita issue came amid the report that early this week Raila Odinga invited Mr. Wakiaga and Hon. Otieno Kajwang’ in total disregard of what is on the ground in Mbita.
 
It has sparked a lot of protests by the electorates in the lakeside constituency who have vowed to defy Raila Odinga by putting up an alternative candidate to Wakiaga.
 
Fears persist that Raila and his henchmen would soon extend similar pressure to other constituencies in Luo Nyanza.    
 
ENDS.
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com