Tuju’s confusing steps in Siaya gubernatorial politics – Weekly Citizen

Jubilee Party secretary general Raphael Tuju has set tongues wagging by declining to join Siaya gubernatorial race ahead of 2022 elections despite mounting pressure on him to succeed incumbent Cornel Rasanga.

Wandayi

Siaya voters seem to have given the former Rarieda MP a clean bill of health due to his newfound working relationship with regional political supremo Raila Odinga coupled with his development track record.

Orengo

Evidently, the newfound love between Tuju and the opposition chief Raila is not only causing jitters among potential candidates in Rasanga succession battle, but also has ripple effect at the national politics.

Deputy president William Ruto and his political wing in the Jubilee party are no longer at ease with their secretary general perceived to be president Uhuru Kenyatta ally.

Ruto has openly attacked Tuju accusing him of betraying the ruling party by working with opposition leader Raila after it emerged that the cabinet secretary without portfolio – a hitherto fierce critic of Raila – had become one of the closest allies and political strategists of the former premier.

It is against this latest development that Siaya voters appear to have changed their attitude against a man who was once cursed in the entire Nyanza over his rebellious political stand against Raila.

The current political formation has paved way for a strong Tuju wave across Siaya county that has forced potential aspirants in the gubernatorial race including Raila’s confidant and area senator James Orengo back to the drawing board.

Initially, Senator Orengo emerged as a frontrunner in a race that has also attracted other notable leaders including Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi, former Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo and former regional development PS Carey Orege.

Orege

Orege and Gumbo have maneuvered to secure government’s lucrative positions as the Kenya National Highways Authority board chairman and Kenyatta National Hospital board chairman respectively, ostensibly after Raila’s intervention.

William Oduol, who lost Siaya gubernatorial race in 2013 and 2017 is said to be facing an awkward political dilemma ahead of 2022 and has been sending mixed signals regarding his candidature.

The flamboyant politician recently announced that he was out of the Siaya governor race after losing two consecutive contests to Rasanga but has declared his intention to vie for the Alego-Usonga parliamentary seat in 2022.

In the latest political arrangement, Siaya voters are torn between Tuju, Orengo and Wandayi and even though Tuju is yet to come clear on the matter, local political leaders are openly divided on who to support in the race to succeed Rasanga who is serving his final term in the office.

The mood on the ground portrays a political formation pulling together Gem MP Elisha Odhiambo, Samuel Atandi (Alego Usonga) and Otieno Amollo (Rarieda) on the side of Orengo.

Atandi

On the other hand women representative Christine Ombaka, Jokoyo Midiwo (former Gem MP), Raila’s brother Oburu Oginga, governor Rasanga and nominated MP Jacqueline Oduol have identified themselves with Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi.

Despite being branded anti-development, Orengo’s team led by Elisha and Atandi has been crisscrossing the county attending funerals and harambees to drum up support for their candidate.

Many have been left questioning the kind of energy Elisha and Atandi have deployed in campaigning for Orengo yet they are both uncertain of their fate in parliamentary elections if the kind of resistance they face on the ground is anything to go by.

Interestingly, a bid to market Orengo’s candidature is facing growing resistance and in Alego Usonga, the MCAs have dismissed Atandi as a nonstarter who could not give political direction as far as gubernatorial race is concerned.

Rasanga

The leaders led by Township ward representative Obiero Otare described Atandi’s attempt to front Siaya senator as naïve adding he is too junior in politics to give them political direction when his re-election in 2022 is not guaranteed.

Elisha

Orengo’s critics have pointed out his poor development track record despite having been in active politics for close to three decades now.

However, his supporters had pegged hopes on recent links with past election record having won the senatorial seat in the 2013 and 2017 general elections, after forcibly wrestling Ugenya constituency seat in 2007 from youthful Steve Mwanga who gave him an embarrassing defeat during ODM party nominations.

Relatively, current political mood on the ground is openly not favouring him for the mere fact that Orengo would be voted as a result of his past devotion to Raila and his party but voters seem to be demanding more than party loyalty, at least development.

There is a valid feeling that Siaya gubernatorial seat should be a preserve for other regions at the end of Rasanga’s reign, who also comes from Alego Usonga in his two terms in the office.

Gumbo

According to pundits, Tuju could be a highly interested party in the race who has opted to play it safe in a tactical manner aimed at avoiding raising further eyebrows at the Jubilee party where he holds a critical position.

It is therefore, a matter of wait-and-see whether he would consider changing his position should Ruto and his team threats to kick him out of his current post in Jubilee come to pass.

Tuju is top in the list of those targeted by Ruto and his close associates in their fresh scheme to wrest control of the ruling Jubilee Party from Uhuru’s mantle.