Migori governor aspirant picks varsity don as running mate

Migori governor aspirant Robert Okong’o has picked university don Michael Nyabuta as his running mate.

He will run for the seat as an independent candidate in his bid to replace the outgoing Governor Okoth Obado.

The financial consultant and economist who previously worked with the World Bank will battle for the seat with ODM’s Ochilo Ayacko and Jubilee’s Dalmas Otieno in the August 9 polls.

Okong’o, 43, said they look towards bringing fresh, young, inclusive and transformative leadership to the people of Migori county to improve their living standards.

He said Migori has lagged behind on development matters due political division and bad governance.

The politicians pledged that there will be no balkanisation of the county in his government as they will seek to change and ensure inclusivity.

“We are development-oriented young leaders. It is our time for the young people of Migori to take the leadership of this county," Okong'o said.

"We understand the needs of young people and we are the best bet to champion for your interests when elected.”

Through his campaign slogan, 'paro manyien' (new vision), he said they are against the old leaders, saying they will tap into their wisdom to fully realise their development agenda for the county.

Top of their agenda, he said, will be to transform the county health department through proper policy and funding to ensure health facilities are well equipped with required equipment and medicines.

“We want to do away with cases where our mothers, women and fathers die because of lack of drugs and efficient healthcare provision in the county,” Okong’o said.

“It pains me that out of 1,000 children in Migori county, at any given point, within five years, we lose 186 of those newly born children. We are losing them to cholera, malnutrition and dysentery.”

There are 238,000 households, but only 44 per cent have pit latrines with the remaining 56 per cent defecating in the streets or sugarcane plantations and forests, Okong'o said. 

The water the goes back into rivers, resulting in the loss of lives, Okong’o added. 

On sugarcane which is the backbone in the county, the aspirant said the sector needs total overhaul of the machinery at the existing sugar factory.

“Sugarcane should be done in a large-scale economy if properly managed and financed through private public partnership,” he said.

Okong’o said they will ensure availability of farm inputs and machinery through seeking strategic investors to make the factory more vibrant and well-paying to farmers in the county.  

Still on agriculture, the hopeful pledged to initiate value addition to boost the market value for the locally-produced products for export to increase earnings for farmers.

Okong’o cited guava, which he said fetches a lot of money in foreign countries, as well as sweet potato which is in high demand in China.

“Through value addition, we will increase more income to our farmers and protect them from the exploitation by middlemen,” he said.

To achieve his plan on agriculture, Okong’o said they will seek partnership with development partners such as the World Bank to support viable agribusiness and value addition programmes to boost the income to farmers.

“China has the biggest market for sweet potatoes which we need to empower our farmers to fully exploit. This is part of our agenda through proper leadership,” he said.

He further said that through a new approach to the needs and plights of the people, they would turn around the living standards of Migori residents.

Nyabuta thanked Okong’o for having faith and nominating him for the position of a running mate. They both hail from Nyatike subcounty.

“We have a new dimension of looking at the problems affecting our people with a new approach to the things that happen in the county,’ Nyabuta said.

He will bring on board expertise on climate change on crop production, which will be of great benefit to the people of Migori.

“Each and every region is unique for itself. If you look at Nyatike, we can do sunflower and add value, and through it we can do bee farming for honey and produce cooking oil,” Nyabuta said.

He said they have the knowledge and experience to turn around the economy of Migori with the support of the people.

(edited by Amol Awuor)