KAKAMEGA, Kenya, May 3- After the just concluded shambolic party primaries, the stage is set for a tough battle for the governorship position in Kakamega County between ODM’s Fernandes Barasa and Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala.
Barasa who is the former managing director of the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) has the backing of Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparnya while Senator Malala has the support of the ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi.
Lugari MP Ayub Savula joined the fray on the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) after he decamped from the ANC party.
The battle for the Kakamega governorship seat is expected to have a huge bearing on campaigns between the Azimio la Umoja Kenya One Coalition and the Kenya Kwanza Alliance which are battling for the 2.1 million votes in the western region.
The issue of where the next Kakamega governor should come from has emerged as a hot campaign tool for the front runners for the position.
Senator Malala is accusing Governor Oparanya of scheming to have Barasa succeed him as the next governor to perpetuate his interests in the county.
On the other hand, Savula who is from the North of the county argues that this time around, the governor should come from the north, considering that Oparanya is from the South.
The pronouncements by the governorship aspirants have likely to pit the dominant communities with a large number of votes in a tussle for the position.
In the South, from where Barasa comes from –the Wanga Mumias East, Mumias West and Matungu) a bloc of voters along with the Marama (Butere) and Kisa (Khwisero) will be seeking to cling to the governorship.
On the other hand, the Kabras from Malava and the communities from the cosmopolitan Lugari and Likuyani constituencies will be trying to clinch the seat.
Governor Oparanya who is the ODM deputy party leader is busy strategizing how to lock out rival parties form the region, including those under the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition, which support the ODM leader Raila Odinga’s presidential bid.
The move has triggered sibling rivalry in the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition after aspirants who had sought the ODM ticket were locked out of the nomination process following a decision by the party to hand over direct nomination certificates to preferred aspirants who include sitting MPs.
As the campaigns by aspirants from the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition and those from the Kenya Kwanza Alliance intensify in the region, there signs of possible hostilities erupting pitting supporters of the different aspirants in the region.
In Kakamega County, campaigns in six constituencies which include Shinyalu, Ikolomani, Matungu, Mumias East, Butere and Malava could turn into hot spots, given the number of voters who could largely influence the outcome of the August 9 polls in the governorship contest and the tussle for the parliamentary seats.
While Governor Oparanya has maintained Kakamega County is an ODM stronghold and the party will do everything possible to clinch the top county seat and a majority of other elective seats, the Kenya Kwanza Alliance has stepped up its campaigns to dim the Orange party’s chances of carrying the days in the August polls.
But Senator Malala who enjoys the support of the youthful voters is urging them to reject politicians who have nothing new to offer to the electorate.
“I have served as county assembly representative before I was elected as Kakamega senator. I have a clear grasp of the issues and development needs of our county including improving the infrastructure and creating jobs for the unemployed youths,” said Mr Malala at a campaign rally in Lurambi constituency.
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