Charles Owino settles for Siaya Deputy Governor post

Former Police spokesperson Charles Owino has dropped his interest in the Siaya governorship seat.

Owino has agreed to become former Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo’s running mate in the August 9 General Election.

Gumbo is seeking to succeed Cornel Rasanga as the Siaya County chief.

Gumbo and Owino, who have ditched ODM, are seeking to run on the United Democratic Movement (UDM) Party ticket.

It had earlier been speculated that Gumbo would run for governor on the Movement for Democracy and Growth Party, which is led by Ugenya MP David Ochieng.

Owino, on the other hand, was expected to go all the way to the Party primaries to secure the ODM ticket.

Owino’s exit now leaves Siaya Senator James Orengo, Deputy Governor James Okumbe and businesswoman Bella Akinyi to square it out for the ODM ticket.

The winner in the ODM primaries will face off against the pair of Gumbo and Owino.

UDM Party is headed by Mandera Governor Ali Roba, and former Standard Group editor David Ohito is the Party’s Secretary-General.

Both UDM and ODM are affiliate parties within the Azimio la Umoja coalition.

Orengo enjoys support from several leaders in Siaya County. They include Governor Cornel Rasanga, EALA MP Oburu Oginga, MPs Opiyo Wandayi (Ugunja), Otiende Amollo (Rarieda), Elisha Odhiambo (Gem) and Sam Atandi (Alego Usonga).

In the 2017 polls, Rasanga won re-election after garnering 143,446 votes against Gumbo’s 87,467 votes.