- The incumbent Dr Christine Ombaka on Wednesday clinched the ODM ticket in a hotly contested primaries. The race attracted six aspirants.
- Ombaka emerged victorious after obtaining 27,521 votes, beating her closest challenger Pamela Awino Akelo who got 20,513 votes.
Image: DICKENS WASONGA
The contest for Siaya Woman Representative sea is now a two horse race between ODM and MDG candidates.
The incumbent Dr Christine Ombaka on Wednesday clinched the ODM ticket in a hotly contested primaries. The race had attracted six aspirants.
Official results announced by the party saw Ombaka emerge victorious with 27,521 votes, beating her closest challenger Pamela Awino Akelo who got 20,513 votes.
Dorothy Awino Oinga was a distant third with 11,996 votes.
Ombaka will now face off with radio journalist Sella Ayimba of MGD party.
The radio personality has hit the ground running, taking her campaigns to every corner of the six subcounties of Siaya which includes Bondo, Alego-Usonga, Ugunja, Ugenya, Gem and Rarieda.
Ayimba is optimistic she has what it takes to beat Ombaka who is seeking her third term.
Ombaka will be banking on the projects she has initiated during her tenure in office and is likely to ride on the popularity of the Orange party in the region.
Ayimba who has worked as a radio presenter at Royal Media service owned Ramogi FM and Radio Lake Victoria, before moving to Nam Lolwe FM, believes the race is hers to lose.
"The people of Siaya need change. They yearn for youthful leadership and I have offered myself to provide the change they need," she told the Star during an interview on Friday.
She said her agenda will be to put up a textile industry that will create employment opportunities for women, youths and people living with disabilities.
"I will also ensure that all the schools, colleges and staff uniforms in Siaya county are made in Siaya and sold in Siaya. Buy Siaya, build Siaya. We want to strengthen local industries while using the readily available cotton as raw materials."
She further pledged to put up a home for the elderly and ensure they are well taken care of as they age.
"Empowerment of the boy child and the girl by giving them equal opportunities when it comes to education, under the Watoto turudi shule programme will be among my priority areas," she added.
The MDG candidate said she will see to it that full sponsorship is given to teenage mothers who drop out of school due to early pregnancies.
"I have plans of putting up a fruit processing plants in Rarieda subcounty so that the mangoes that are harvested in Siaya can be used to make juice through a projects that target value addition and horticulture crops," she said.
Ayimba said voters in Siaya will this time support ODM leader Raila Odinga for the presidency but will pick leaders vying for the other positions based on merit.
"Our people will pick leaders who will work for them and not six piece as being advocated. That kind of voting pattern is the reason our region is underdeveloped."
-Edited by SKanyara