Unfolding scenario in Kakamega governorship race – Weekly Citizen

Kakamega county gubernatorial contest is becoming more complicated as more faces emerge forcing the rest to go back to the drawing board to make things work out their way as Governor Wycliffe Oparanya winds up his second and last term in office.

He has declared interest in vying for the presidency even as another school of thought has it that he only wants a big stake in the next government formation and is even ready to play a second fiddle with any serious contender.

Oparanya

Latest entry is the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited managing director Fernandez Barasa whose moves are now sending shivers down the spines of many owing to his political connections within the county and across the country.

Though he has not openly come out in the open and said it, political machinery are at work across the county ensuring a system is put in place to see to it that that he succeeds Oparanya.

Barasa hails from the southern part of the county that comprises of Butere, Matungu and Mumias subcounties that is the home of current governor whose dominant clans are Marachi, Marama and Wanga and they have always played in a different political club from the Northerners which brings together Malava, Navakholo, Lugari and Likuyani subcounties, the home of deputy governor Philip Kutima and whose dominant clans are Kabras, Tachoni and the Abanyala. The southern clans backed Oparanya, a Marama, and now they want the position to move towards Wanga. To Oparanya, it is payback time.

Barasa is now involved in many socio economic activities across the county aimed at endearing himself with the voters even as he remains low profiled as his would be competitors swing in scandals soiling their names ahead of elections.

Malala

While the Northerners have never voted as a block, the southerners have always united behind one of their own as exhibited in 2013 election when the late housing minister Soita Shitanda and Wycliffe Oparanya battled it out.

Khalwale

Oparanya has, since word came out that Barasa is to vie, kept the rest of the candidates guessing on who he will endorse even as he keeps saying that every one of them has his blessings.

Among other contenders is Lugari legislator Ayub Savula who enjoys the northern support if the talk is anything to go by, Kutima who is making inroads across the county and county senator Cleophas Malala whose declaration was also received with shock owing to his ability to mount a serious campaign as exhibited in last elections.

Malala’s entry has not been received well by Oparanya who believes that the senator has been fighting him from his days as an MCA. Malala is also seen as a foreigner in county politics and sympathetic to ODM leader Raila Odinga.

County clerk Laban Atemba and former Kakamega senator Bonnie Khalwale have also declared interest for the top county position. Khalwale is eyeing governorship on Jubilee ticket courtesy of his relationship with deputy president William Ruto.

Surprisingly, Khalwale does not have support of Jubilee MPs in the county led by majority leader in parliament Benjamin Washiali of Mumias East. Other Jubilee MPs opposed to Khalwale are Malulu Injendi (Malava), Bernard Shinali (Ikolomani) and Emmanuel Wangwe (Navakholo). Khalwale’s recent Kibra by-election fracas where he was seen carrying stones in full the glare of cameras is working against his reputation. Former cabinet minister Rashid Echesa is said to be throwing his weight behind Barasa.