•Obura has been traversing the county campaigning to seek support for his governor’s bid.
•For the last two months, he has been meeting the business community, elders, opinion leaders, youth and women in every ward in the respective seven sub counties to woo voters for his bid.
Image: MAURICE ALAL
Former Kisumu Central MP and EAC Chief Administrative Secretary Ken Obura has heightened his campaigns to unseat governor Anyang' Nyong'o in 2022.
Obura has been traversing the county campaigning to seek support for his governor’s bid.
For the last two months, he has been meeting the business community, elders, opinion leaders, youth and women in every ward in the respective seven sub counties to woo voters for his bid.
The county comprises Seme, Kisumu Central, Nyando, Muhoroni, Nyakach, Kisumu East and Kisumu West sub counties. Obura has also been actively participating in empowerment funds to position himself in the race.
On Saturday, Obura participated in a funds drive where he donated a bus and Sh400, 000 to Kibuye Power Unite Us Sacco, where more than Sh1.5 million was raised.
Kisumu Senate aspirant Senior Counsel Tom Ojienda donated Sh350, 000, businessman and Kisumu Central MP aspirant Dr Joshua Oron donated Sh200, 000 while Kisumu Central MP Fred Ouda gave Sh230, 000. Ouda also asked traders to support his re-election
Ojienda, who was the chief guest, wants to replace Senator Fred Outa, who has declared interest in the governor’s seat. While popularising his candidature, Ojienda appealed to residents to support him.
Other candidates eyeing the governor’s seat are former Kisumu speaker Onyango Oloo, former Governor Jack Ranguma and former chief finance officer Cephas Kasera.
Dr Oron also wants to unseat Ouda who is serving his first term. He has been traversing the constituency to reach out to opinion leaders, youths and the business community.
During the event, Obura hundreds traders present to support his bid saying he was the best to unseat Nyong’o.
Earlier on Sunday, Obura attended a funeral in Nyakach sub county where he drummed up support for his bid.
He said his campaigns will purely be based on development ideologies and not name calling or maligning other candidates.
Obura made stopovers in Kisumu where he visited Nyalenda, Jua kali traders before addressing residents at the Kisumu bus park and along the Oginga Odinga Street to popularise his candidature.
He expressed confidence of victory, saying he has the capacity to govern the county based on his development record when he served as the MP.
Obura will ride on his development record, especially in education, having built schools during his five-year tenure as Kisumu Central MP.
He lost the MP seat in the last election to Fred Ouda. Obura lauded the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga saying it has seen various developments in Kisumu.
He pledged to make health one of his development pillars and tackle the constant medics’ strike in Kisumu when elected as governor. He also plans to revamp road networks and support small and medium-sized enterprises.
He criticised the demolition of structures belonging to small scale traders during the Covid-19 pandemic which has negatively impacted on the economy.
“We are not opposing the ongoing developments in Kisumu. But all we are asking is for the county government to engage locals and find those affected an alternative space,” Obura said.
He said Nyong’o had the time to relocate affected traders before demolishing their business structures.
“The livelihoods of hundreds of people in the city have been destroyed. They have school fees to pay and feed their family. Where will they get help when their businesses are destroyed?” he posed.
Nyong’o told off politicians to stop using the relocation of traders in the City to make a come-back.
“They are shouting themselves lame at Funerals even as mourners refuse to listen to them. We suspect they are holding briefs for cartels and Land grabbers, some of whom have even rented pavements to unsuspecting traders,” he said.
Nyong’o urged the traders to reject politicians’ cheap propaganda and assured the business community in Kisumu, especially the small-scale traders.
On ODM primaries, Obura said they are ready and well prepared to unseat Nyong'o even if he was to be given a direct ODM party ticket.
Last month, Obura, Outa, Oloo and Ranguma said they are in negotiations to front one candidate to face Nyong'o.Ranguma, who lost to Nyong'o in 2017, seeks to recapture the seat.
Outa said the group will early next year unveil a candidate whom they will back to unseat Nyong'o in the next year's general elections.
"We are also in talks with other like minded leaders in our political course. By January, white smoke will be seen. A candidate shall be known," he said.
Outa said the group is also talking to Kisumu West MP Olago Aluoch and his Kisumu East counterpart Shakeel Shabir among others.
Kisumu Deputy Governor Dr. Mathews Owili defended the administration of Nyong'o saying they have initiated massive development projects in the county which included health facilities, water and roads.
Owili said they have initiated theatre in Muhoroni sub county hospital which has not been there for the past four years.
"When we took over the government there was no theatre facility. Today, there's a fully-fledged theatre in that hospital, "Owili said.
He told Outa to stick to the senate seat. "You will be a worthy competitor but you should remain in the senate before it is too late. If it was good for Outa to be in the senate," he said.
Outa and Obura said they are ready and well prepared to unseat the incumbent Nyong'o even if he was to be given a direct ODM party ticket.
The duo said they will mount an issue based campaign to ensure Nyong'o is voted out. They accused Nyong'o of poor leadership.
Nyong’o said he has initiated various development projects across the county. He said he was confident of reelection. “My development track records speak volume,” the governor said.
Outa blamed Nyong'o for inadequate drugs in various hospitals in the county despite receiving cash from the national Treasury every financial year.
"We cannot afford to have our people die in health facilities because there is no medicine," he said.
"We will defeat you with the direct ticket. We are ready and will crush you with the direct ticket," Outa said, adding that ODM party leader Raila Odinga should ensure there are free, fair and credible party primaries.
Outa also called on residents, especially young people to register as voters in large numbers to help Raila clinch the presidency.
"It is only the Raila vote that is guaranteed. The rest of the seats such as governor, senate, MPs and MCA are open. Let those with a preferred list of candidates come and meet us. We will crush them with a landslide victory," he said.
Outa, who played a pivotal role in the election of Nyong'o in 2017, said that he will not relent in his governor bid. He campaigned vigorously alongside Oloo and businessman cum politician Patrick Ouya alias Kalausi.
"I will not go back to Thurdibuoro. I am not going back there. The cross is heavy on me and nobody is helping me. Let him come with a direct ticket. We will crush him," he said.
At the same time, the senator apologised for campaigning against Ranguma in 2017 saying they are committed to correct the past mistakes.
Oloo said, "We regret not reelecting Ranguma. Current leadership must be changed. A whole sub county has no road. We cannot be without drugs in hospitals. As Kisumu county, we want transformative change."