The 2022 Migori Woman Representative seat has attracted aspirants from minority tribes in the cosmopolitan county.
Members of the minority tribes of Kuria which comprises about 25 per cent of the total county population have come out to seek the seat, ahead of next year's poll.
The incumbent Pamela Odhiambo who is a Luo will not defend her seat in the forthcoming polls, she has set her eyes to replace Okoth Obado as governor.
“As minorities in Migori county, we have seen most aspirants from the seat are from Kuria and other minority groups.
"We need to have this as an unwritten rule in next polls for sake of unity in Migori,” Matiko Bohoko, an elder from the Kuria community said.
Bohoko vied for the Kuria West constituency seat in 2017.
He said after the fall of the negotiated democracy in 2013 between the majority Luo and minority Kuria community, the spirit needs to be revived in the next polls.
“Kuria as a community will not force this move.
"Just like all gubernatorial aspirants pick their deputies in Kuria, we also need an additional seat in the county for equity and with a high number of aspirants in the Woman Representative seat. We need the conversation to change,” Bohoko said.
In the 2013 general elections, Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga pushed through a failed negotiated democracy which was set for the Kuria community to vote for his presidential seat as a bloc.
In the move, the Kuria community ended up getting senator Wilfred Machage, Woman Representative Dennitah Ghati and deputy governor Mwita Mahanga elected, which created a rift.
In the 2017 polls, the deal was dropped as Luo's voted in the late senator Ben Okello and Odhiambo for Senator and Woman Representative seats respectively.
As campaigns for the next general elections intensify, the Kuria community already has county executive Sheila Gati who is currently nominated by ODM to represent people with disability.
Gati's younger sister Bevin Bhoke who is allied to Deputy President William Ruto’s UDA party has also shown interest.
Others from the Kuria community are Rebecca Gati and Migori water executive Sophie Dhibra.
Another aspirant, Fatuma Mohammed who is from the minority Muslim community is also on the ran for the seat.
“Bhoke and Gati are all civil servants and have not campaigned openly but are doing so through meet the people tours and social media platforms, as they are yet to resign,” Nick Oluoch, a lecturer at Kisii University and a political analyst said.
“I will deliver the Migori Woman Rep seat to ODM in the forthcoming elections," Gati said.
"When I was in the seat I did visible projects despite my short time in office. I also have a political appeal across all tribes in the county.
She spoke while leading an ODM registration drive in Kegonga town on Wednesday.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
