By Joseph Lister Nyaringo
The gubernatorial contest in Kisii County to
succeed Governor James Ongwae, in 2022 has put Dagoreti North MP Simba Arati
under the spotlight as he is reported to have rubbed most of the county leaders
in the wrong way.
The contest will attract candidates from four
out of the six main clans in the county with exception of Bonchari and Bogetutu
clans.
Bobasi, Bogirango and Nyaribari clans have more
than one candidate save for Bomachoge clan whose only candidate is the outgoing
deputy governor Joash Maangi.
Maangi who prides himself for being loyal to his
boss and believes in honesty and fairness is keen to use his relationship with
Ongwae to clinch Bogetutu clan before seeking support from Bonchari clan adding
that his open-mindedness is a tool to capture votes from unexpected quarters.
From Bobasi clan, Kisii Women representative
Janet Ong’era, Chief Administrative Secretary Ministry of Transport and
Infrastructure Chris Obure and Arati are in the race.
Nyaribari clan, has Senator Sam Ongeri, Ezekiel
Machogu, Rachel Otundo and Charles Matoke from diaspora who are aspiring while
from the South Mugirango clan, there are Manson Oyongo and Omingo Magara who
are former MPs.
Two clans- Bonchari and governor Ongwae’s
Bogetutu clan will be battlegrounds in what promises to be a tough duel
compared to 2013 and 217 general elections.
Though it is still early to figure out who will
win and what strengths, opinions on the ground favour, Ong’era, Arati, Maangi
and Ongeri quartet as lead aspirants as Ongwae hold the key of outgoing
incumbency with his Bogetutu clan tightly behind him which he may unleash to
determine his successor.
Ongwae’s undisputed grassroots network and
financial resources will work in favour of his preferred successor though
remain unnamed.
It remains to be seen how a county facing a
myriad of challenges ranging from inadequate infrastructure, lack of water and,
and unemployment will vote their next governor to succeed Ongwae, whose
signature achievement is the improvement and refurbishing of Kisii Teaching and
Referral Hospital (KTRH).
Voters in the county of Kisii are observing with
keen interest how the candidatures of Arati, Ong’era and Ongeri will play out
in the dominant party, Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party primaries where
only one of them will be picked as flag-bearer.
Arati, may find it an uphill task to mend fences
with the Catholic Church following a fracas that occurred last week at Nyamagwa
Parish in Bobasi, where he allegedly stormed out of Cathedral after he was
“denied” a chance to address the congregation.
Critics argue that Arati’s aggressive and
intimidating personality will ruin his gubernatorial bid unless he spruced up
the negative reputation.
The Diocese of Kisii head Bishop Joseph Mairura,
the Pope’s representative to Kenya, Hubertus Matheus Maria, Ford Kenya leader
Moses Wetangula, MPs, Chris Wamalwa (Kimilili), Ezekiel Machogu (Nyaribari
Masaba) and the host MP Innocent Obiri (Bobasi) attended the function.
It must be observed that the Dagoretti North MP
is perceived to have fallen out with almost all elected leaders in Kisii county
from Ongwae, Ongeri, Ong’era and Obiri who is from Arati’s Bobasi clan.
He is reported to have uttered some unkind words
to the said leaders. It’s foolhardy to attack governor Ongwae in his Bogetutu
backyard and expect members of his clan to vote for you.
Senator Ongeri is more experienced followed by
Janet Ong’era as an ODM insider and former executive director of the party.
Party insiders claim that it is Ong’era who
fronted Arati as a civic nominee for Nairobi in 2007 thereby, catapulting him
to public limelight and five years later, that is 2013, he successfully vied
for Dagoretti North parliamentary seat and in 2017 respectively.
A major disadvantage of Ms Ong’era is her gender
because Gusii land too is patriarchal. However, it is changing gradually and
recent by-election in Bonchari in which United Democratic Alliance (UDA)
candidate Ms Theresa Oyioka lost with a margin of one thousand votes behind
Pavel Oimeke of ODM.
Unlike in Nairobi, the entry of Arati in the
gubernatorial race has completely altered the political theme in the Kisii
region due to its combative and abrasive nature which is alien to rural voters
as some are scared while others have embraced it.
Sceptics liken Arati’s brand of politics to that
of former governors for Nairobi Mike Sonko and Ferdinand Waititu.
Murmurs on the ground are directed at, his Boda
Boda supporters who have on a number of occasions exhibited
lawlessness towards his perceived political opponents.
Though the youthful MP who celebrated his 40th birthday
last week is still viewed as an “outsider” in Gusiiland politics by virtue of
holding a parliamentary seat in a city-county, he has tried to build a sizeable
following in the county’s nine constituencies.
In the ODM party, he is rated highly as a great
mobilizer. On development, he has helped in many fundraisers for many churches
and self-help groups besides contributing iron sheets for poor families to put
up residential structures.
It remains to be seen how far Arati’s dalliance
with the only senior elected Kisii MP Richard Onyonka of Kitutu Chache South
will go.
Onyonka, is known to be flip-flopping on parties
as his modus operandi, but his oratory skills and articulate expressions may
work for Arati.
Some ardent supporters of Arati are already
throwing caution in the air saying that holding the grip of the county till
August 9, 2022, requires wisdom, well calculated and executed strategies.
“The fastest swimmer is the first one to drown,”
said Sally Ombasa of Igare Market.
Other sources from ODM
opine that Arati’s superb mobilization skills are a boon for “Baba's” campaign
in Nairobi thus Raila may prevail upon him to shelve his gubernatorial ambition
to remain in the city leadership.
In Kenya’s political culture, success is largely
determined by the deep pockets, clannism, tribalism or ethnicity one is
attached to unlike advanced democracies, where policies and manifestoes hold
key to success as money comes second.
As Justus Ondari of Nyagesenda village put it, “Mkono
mtupu haulambwi” (You can’t lick an empty hand). Arati’s deep pocket has
the capacity to take care of a market crowd all individually,” he added.
In a rejoinder, a taxi driver- Vincent Okenye-is
cagey about cash handouts saying that aspirants should instead focus more on
policies and manifestoes and where need be use their personal wealth to
initiate development projects rather than engage in dishing out cash.
For Ms Ong’era, her perceived good performance at the helm of the
ODM secretariat and the good rapport she has with top party echelons may favour
her in a bid to clinch the ticket for the race as it is echoed that during her
heydays the party won the majority seats in elections.
During her stint at the senate, Ong’era
has initiated an agri-business concept geared at empowering women and youth
groups on poultry rearing across the county.
She also is in sync with small business
operators in Kisii, Keroka and Ogembo Towns where she has donated umbrellas for
those who operate at the open-air markets.
Voters perceive her as affable, motherly, and
approachable. She referred to as “Mama Christmas” in Kisii town for sharing
goodies with vulnerable groups every festive season. Besides, she has donated
water tanks to many schools, and churches within the county.
For Senator Ongeri, despite
his closeness to the ODM leader Raila Odinga, his bid may be disadvantaged
because he is not regarded as a solid party insider.
He is viewed as a Johnny
come lately in ODM. The age factor too may not favour his bid due to the
pressure that comes with the coveted seat.
Elsewhere the professor of
medicine whose other attribute is an honest statesman is also credited for initiating
health and educational projects beyond his Nyaribari clan which include
Kenyenya Teachers Training College in Bomachoge.
There are talks of the
line-up in which Ongeri, Ong’era and Maangi are said to be inclined to if what
was seen in a recent fundraiser in Kitutu Chache North is anything to go by.
As larger communities continue to dominate
political leadership on the national platform, the same is happening in the
counties where large clans will continue dominating the county leadership.
It is important to note that ODM managed to
capture the two gubernatorial seats in Nyamira and Kisii counties largely
because of building a team whose membership was drawn from all major clans in
which leadership slots for the two counties was shared.
