Daggers drawn in Kisumu county – Weekly Citizen

The Corona virus outbreak seems to have been Godsent for Kisumu governor Anyang Nyong’o following recent events. That is so after Nyong’o managed to host several members of parliament and senators from the county in order to discuss the virus that is taking a toll in many parts of the world. Nyong’o managed to round up Kisumu East member of parliament Ahmed Shabir, his Nyakach counterpart Aduma Owuor, Jared Okello (Nyando), James Nyikal (Kisumu Rural), John Olago Aluoch (Kisumu West) Fred Outa (Kisumu central) with Onyango K’oyoo (Muhoroni) being conspicuously absent at the meeting. Others present were Kisumu senator Fred Outa and nominated colleague Rosa Buyu. However, nothing tangible was discussed at the meeting apart from Nyong’o lamenting about shortage of resources that can help in combating the pandemic.

Olago Aluoch

Nyong’o who is in the second phase of his leadership has seemingly been fast losing control of area leadership as he gradually and systematically isolates himself. This is against a background where he has kicked his former allies who stood by him at the last general elections. Some of the casualties include his former confidante Alphonse Ouya, former trade executive Alice Moraa, former health executive Rosemary Obara and former deputy governor Ruth Odinga and then assembly speaker Onyango Oloo who was impeached and eventually thrown out of office. All were members of the team “Kali’ which campaigned for Nyong’o. The governor was yet to convene a leaders meeting since he was swornin immediately after his controversial election where be beat the former holder of the office Jack Ranguma. Members of parliament in Kisumu have opted to adopt a wait-and-see attitude towards the whole spectacle.

Kisumu Women Representative Rosa Buyu

But at the centre of a potential future confrontation still pits Nyong’o and Outa who have been at loggerheads with the former Nyando MP insisting that he will not stop his barrage of attacks against the former cabinet minister and one time MP for Kisumu Rural. Outa who has been breathing fire and brimstone over Nyong’o’s style of leadership has been an aggrieved person. Outa has repeatedly called for an audit of accounts at the Kisumu county government. He wants the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to swing into action. Outa has been tearing into Nyong’o at almost all public functions. But the deputy governor Mathews Owili has also come out strongly against Outa’s hard stance. Owili blames Outa for his unrelenting criticism of the county boss. Nyong’o on the other hand feels the senator should allow him to work. Outa has been vocal about the county issues. He has tabled some of them in the senate, which includes alleged misappropriation of funds in the Kisumu Urban Project which led to the closure of some bank accounts. He wants to know what led to the closure of the accounts and what the findings of investigations are so far.

Kisumu deputy governor Mathews Ochieng Owili

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations froze the accounts after funds were wired to the wrong KUP accounts, hindering projects worth Sh4.5 billion that France funded. Outa has, in the recent past, put the governor on the spot over allegations that Moi stadium and Sunset Hotel are owned by private developers. He has also questioned plans to construct a governor’s residence at a cost of Sh350 million The salvos against Outa were first fired by MPs and the county’s leaders of the Orange Democratic Movement, who asked him to stop politicking at the expense of development. Jared Okello (Nyando) and Aduma Owuor (Nyakach) endorsed Nyong’o for a second term and asked him to hand over to Owili when he completes his term. Okello notes that during campaigns for the 2017 general election, Outa told them Nyong’o was the best candidate at the time.

Ahmed Shakeel Shabir

“This has not changed,” he said during the service at St Joseph Nyabondo Church Mission Church recently. We will not listen to Outa but will go ahead and re-elect the governor for a second term. We could as well add him another term if the constitution is amended,” he said. He told the people of Nyakach, where deputy governor hails from, not to allow anybody to lie to them about the politician best-placed to govern the county. “This is the closest people of Nyakach have been to governor. Continue supporting Prof Nyong’o so that your son Owili can take over from him when he finishes his term”. Owuor questioned the senator’s academic credentials which he said could lock him out of the race to succeed Governor Nyong’o in 2022. A lobby group dubbed the Mulembe Movement has also warned Outa against criticising the county chief. Led by chairman Khalid Njiraini, the group said Governor Nyong’o has “greatly” developed the county’s infrastructure and described him as an experienced and capable leader.

Nyando MP Jared Okello

“Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o inherited a county with no structures or systems in place and as a former minister for planning in the national government, he is now using his expertise and experience to change and develop Kisumu,” Njiraini said. Kisumu county vice chairman Kennedy Ajwang warned the senator and any other members of the party against attacking each other in public, saying this will attract disciplinary action. He lauded the governor for the relocation of Kachok dumpsite and the allocation of funds for remuneration of community health workers. Nyong’o and Owili asked the senator to allow them to deliver their promises to the people. The county boss asked the people to protect Owili, saying he had been under attack by members of the county assembly over the budget stalemate. “The journey is still long but even while somebody is trying to shake me, I will not move an inch. Allow me to work,” he said.

Onyango Oloo

The governor says that only three MPs from Kisumu had been supporting him namely Okello, Owuor and Nyikal. Some county leaders have accused Nyong’o of being a lone ranger. Shabbir once accused him of sidelining his constituency because he was elected on an independent party ticket. Senator Outa recently claimed the governor had blacklisted his mobile number and was therefore unreachable. Owili says he was solidly behind his boss and would campaign for him for a second term. “We are working together for the benefit of Kisumu’s people. We will not look back but support the governor so he can deliver on his pledges,” he says Outa has in the past vowed not to stop questioning how the county government spends taxpayers’ money.or,” he said in May.