Nyong'o the man to beat in Kisumu governor race

The Kisumu's 2022 gubernatorial contest is for Governor Anyang' Nyong'o to lose.

With numerous development projects successfully delivered under his watch, the governor's opponents are facing a herculean task in their bid to unseat him.

Nyong'o's close links with ODM chief Raila Odinga, which date back to the days when the governor was the party's secretary general and Cabinet minister, further boost his chances of grabbing the party's ticket and re-election.

ODM is vouching for consensus in areas where the contest for the party's ticket is likely to be stiff and polarising.

To avoid fallouts that have the potential of weakening the party ahead of the August 9 election, the party's stalwarts have in the recent past indicated that ODM might be forced to consider handing direct nomination to some candidates.

The battle for the party's ticket is quickly gaining momentum in counties where the party holds sway.

In Kisumu, apart from Nyong'o who will be defending his seat, those who will be seeking the party's ticket include former Kisumu Central MP Ken Obura, Senator Fred Outa and former speaker Onyango Oloo.

Obura, who is the Chief Administrative Secretary in the East Africa docket, has been crisscrossing the county to popularise his bid.

Late last year, former Governor Jack Ranguma gave him his blessings to seek the seat on the ODM ticket.

Ranguma announced in November last year that he was not going back to the Orange party.

Obura, Outa and Ranguma had indicated that they were working on a coalition that would produce one candidate to face Nyong'o.

This is yet to materialise as the cock ticks towards the polls.

Outa, who campaigned for Nyong'o in 2017, says he is firmly in the race to unseat the governor.

Should the coalition materialise voters will be keen to compare Kisumu under Nyong'o and under Ranguma, who served as the county's governor.

Nyong'o rode to office on a platform of development and a commitment to ensure prudent use of public resources.

Nyong'o promised to roll out village councils and hire village administrators to entrench devolution.

He fulfilled the promise. 

Nyong'o is credited with having brought financial discipline to the county offices.

His first task was to reorganise the Finance department. Key officers were sent packing in the process in a bid to put the county on the right trajectory.

He also restructured the procurement department and kicked out cowboy contractors who would win tenders and deliver shoddy jobs.

When Ranguma left, the county government was sinking in debt owed to contractors and suppliers. Pending bills had hit more than Sh3 billion.

This hurt implementation of development projects as he spent his first three years as governor trying to offset the bills, after a thorough audit.

His administration had reduced pending bills to Sh1.4 billion by last October, according to the Finance executive George Okong'o.

That same month, the county paid a further Sh300 million to offset the bills.

Mega projects have been executed, both by his administration and the national government, during Nyong'o's tenure.

Kisumu city got a huge chunk of the projects, mostly funded by the World Bank.

In a record three years, Kisumu's image has undergone a great transformation.

The city management under Abala Wanga has completed implementation, among others, of the non-motorised transport project.

The walkways, according to the city authorities, are growing popular with residents.

This was done alongside beautification of the city, giving Kisumu a fresh look as it prepare to host the ninth edition of the Afri-Cities conference in May.

The improvements targeted Oginga Odinga triangle, Jomo Kenyatta Avenue and various roundabouts. Ciala Resort and Toyota Kenya scooped end-year awards for best roundabout management.

According to the city manager, 200 cleaners were hired under a three-year contract to ensure the city is clean round the clock.

"The city was dirty and the road infrastructure, particularly within the CBD, had collapsed owing to a lofty regime," Denis Onyango, one of the traders relocated from Winmat said.

Judith Okelo, a second-hand clothes trader in Kibuye, said the decision to rehabilitate the market was welcome but asked the administration to hasten the project.

"Nyong'o has put together a team of competent lieutenants who are making sure Kisumu is on the right path," she said.

The reorganisation of traders was driven by the need to modernise markets such as Maendeleo, Chichwa, Kibuye and growing business centres such as K- City.

The county government in collaboration with the national government also put up Uhuru Business Complex to house traders relocated to pave way for the Kisumu port expansion and rehabilitation of railway services in the lakeside city.

Balloting was successfully completed last December by the Housing ministry and national government administration officers led by county commissioner Josephine Ouka and in consultation with the Nyong'o administration.

Verification of missing names of legitimate traders evicted from the affected areas by the port project is ongoing.

Of priority to Nyong'o's administration before the lapse of his first term, according to Abala, include completion of Kibuye market and evacuation of Kachok dumpsite.

Abala said the two projects will be completed by March.

The county government has been scaling up efforts to improve Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, which serves Nyanza and Western.

Lumumba, which was a health centre, has been upgraded to a major hospital, the number of community health workers doubled and their operations formalised.

A number of dispensaries and subcounty hospitals have been refurbished.

Ahero and Kombewa subcounty hospitals, for instance, now have the capacity to handle deliveries, including performing surgical procedures on pregnant women who develop complications during delivery.

In October 2020, Nyong'o unveiled a free health insurance cover for the vulnerable modelled around UHC called Marwa health insurance scheme.

More than 45,000 vulnerable households across Kisumu were enrolled in phase one of the initiative, which is being implemented by NHIF.

Agriculture, education and water have also had their fair share of projects.

Edited by Josephine M. Mayuya