Leaders rule out Luo-Kuria negotiated democracy for August polls

Leaders have ruled out negotiated democracy between the majority Luo and the minority Kuria communities.

Attempts to have the two communities reach a pact on how to share county seats have been thwarted.

Both Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga and Kenya Kwanza's DP William Ruto hold sway in the area.

“While Raila has stronger ties to make a pact as he did in the 2013 general election, he has steered out of the topic completely, same to Ruto,” Kuria East MP Marwa Kitayama said.

He said the leaders are busy wooing the electorate for presidential votes and don’t want to rock the boat.

Kitayama spoke to the press at his home in Nyamtiro village on Sunday.

He said unlike 2013, there is no goodwill between the two communities.

“The two communities can’t trust each other in a similar pact in the August. We will move through democracy,” Kitayama said.

In 2013 general election, Raila pushed for a negotiated democracy.

Four county seats went to the minority Kuria community through Senator Wilfred Machage (now deceased), Woman Representative Dennitah Ghati and Deputy Governor Mwita Mahanga.

The Luo community only got Governor Okoth Obado.

“The agreement was for the Kuria community to vote as a bloc for Raila which we failed to do. However, despite Kuria getting the three seats we realised individual voters had nothing to show on development,” Kitayama said.

In the last polls, the Luo shunned the pact and elected Obado, Woman Representative Pamela Odhiambo and Ben Okello (deceased)for Senator.

The Kuria community only retained the Deputy Governor's seat.

“As a community we will comb out each aspirant seeking the county seat on individual strength and their agenda for us. We realised negotiated democracy may force bad leaders,” John Magaiwa, a 2013 senator aspirant and an elder after leaving politics, said.

At Kehancha Stadium on March 4 during the burial of Machage, who at the time was Kenya's envoy to Nigeria, Raila steered away from calls of negotiated democracy.

He said if he forms the next government, he will work very closely with the Kuria community.

"I am one of you and your brother. However, when it comes to polls you vote for other people and still come and cry to me. In the coming polls I want us to stay together," Raila said.

In the 2017 August presidential polls, President Uhuru Kenyatta garnered 41,951 votes (65 per cent of the cast votes), while Raila got 21,202 votes (34 per cent) in Kuria.

In the repeat poll, Uhuru won in both constituencies with 19,587 votes in Kuria West and Raila got 214 votes.

Uhuru also won in the Kuria East with 13,156 votes followed by Raila who got 180 votes.

As August 9 general election nears, nominated MP Ghati has shown interest to vie for the Woman Representative on the ODM ticket.

Former county executive Rebecca Maroa has also declared interest in the governor's seat under the UDA party.

“We have a stake in Migori and we need inclusivity. We cannot make other communities vote for leaders. We need an equal chance for our voices to be heard,” Ghati said.

Maroa said the fact that she is from a minority community does not dim her chances.

She said she believes any leader can be elected across the county based on agenda and policy.

On March 4, Suna East MP Junet Mohammed and Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho said it could be easier to accommodate the Kuria in negotiated democracy if they seek the same under ODM.

The two spoke in Busia where despite the Teso being a minority to the Luhya's, they took the governor seat twice.

“I am a Somali and we are more minority than the Kuria in Migori. However because we are closer to Raila, it is easier to ensure our interests are taken care of,” Junet said.

Joho said as a Muslim from the Coast, they are a minority in national politics. However, the ODM party has helped them to gain national limelight, a trick which the Kuria should use.

(Edited by Bilha Makokha)