Nyachae party eyes the spoils as rivals battle it out in Kisii

By ROBERT NYASATO

Barely a month to the Nyaribari Chache and Bomachoge Borabu by-elections, the two major political coalitions are spoiling for a fight to assert their following in Kisii.

The by-elections are critical to President Uhuru Kenyatta-led Jubilee and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s CORD as the outcome will be a rating of of the coalitions by the electorate since the March 4 elections.

CORD, through ODM, would want to retain the Nyaribari Chache seat which fell vacant after Chris Bichage’s election was reversed by an election court sitting in Kisii last month, while Jubilee will be leaving nothing to chance to have Bomachoge Borabu’s Joel Onyancha of TNA re-elected after his election was invalidated at the same court.

However, political observers say the real danger to the coalitions’ game plan to retain the seats is from former influential minister Simeon Nyachae’s Ford-People.

Ford-People candidates Albert Nyaundi (Bomachoge Borabu) and Richard Tongi (Nyaribari Chache) have received support from unlikely quarters including the focal South Mugirango MP Manson Oyongo of ODM.

The party has been re-inventing itself after winning two parliamentary seats in the last General Election through Bonchari’s Zepedeo Opore and Stephen Manoti of Bobasi. Opore’s win was, however, overturned and John Oyioka of Kanu declared MP by Justice Edward Muriithi following a petition by Oyioka.

Rare political chance

Insiders say the by-elections, including another for Bobaracho County Ward in Nyaribari Chache, have presented an opportune chance for the party that swept all the then 10 parliamentary seats in Kisii and Nyamira in 2002 under Nyachae’s leadership when he unsuccessfully ran for presidency.

Oyongo, who first became MP through Ford-People following a by-election after the 2007 General Election, says he will stand by the Ford-People candidates in the two constituencies.

 “First, we want to give Ford-People footing by winning the two seats then start the journey of re-positioning the party in readiness for the 2017 General Elections,” Oyongo told The Standard on Sunday.

He claimed the Gusii community had lost political direction because they were scattered in several parties, thus lacking bargaining power, a scenario that saw the community get only one Cabinet slot in the Jubilee government occupied of Dr Fred Matiangi. 

Insiders say the tables are likely to turn against Jubilee and CORD should Nyachae come out to campaign for the Ford-People candidates. Despite having quit active politics, Nyachae still has the ear of Omogusii.

Kisii Ford People Chairman Protus Nyansera told The Standard on Sunday that a delegation to lobby Nyachae to declare his support for Nyaundi and Tongi had been dispatched owing to pressure from the electorate.

The Nyaribari Chache race has so far attracted former MP Robert Monda of TNA, Tongi (Ford-People), Bichage (ODM), Ken Omanga(Kanu), James Kenani (National Labour Party), Semion Kanani (Federal Party of Kenya), Ben Mogaka (Kenya Social Congress) and Rechael Otundo (Narc Kenya).  In Bomachoge Borabu the contest will be between Nyaundi (Ford-People), Onyancha (TNA) and Peter Kimori of ODM. Kimori and Nyaundi successfully petitioned Onyancha’s election. Former minister Sam Ongeri, initially accused of secretly fronting Tongi for clan affiliation reasons, has come out to back Monda.

“I have never played clan politics…I stood with Monda in the last Generel Election and have not changed my stand,” he said when contacted.