ODM: Junet furiously cancels Homabay party elections called by Mbadi

Below is the scathing response to Hon John Mbadi's unilateral decision to call elections to replace party officials in Homabay. The no-nonsense Director of elections stated it as it is>>

The elections of party officials for Homa Bay County has not been agreed upon at any meeting of our party. It should be noted that any party member making claims to the effect that there is an election in Homa Bay County of party officials is doing so at personal level. I urge supporters and office holders apprehensive of any election in the foreseeable future to be calm and wait for official communication from party organs mandated to conduct such activities.

We do however have elections, and that is in Kajiado. We have a candidate, and that is Elijah Memusi Kanchory. Let's pull all our resources and commit our energies to WIN this election.

Junet Mohammed,
Director of Elections,
ODM.

Migori MCA scores ”D-” in released KCSE exam results

A Facebook user has posted the KCSE results of his elected MCA, wondering whether such a poor performance is replicated in his duties at the county assembly of Migori.

George Ong’oma, the Kamagambo East Ward Representative in the Migori County Assembly scored a ‘rare’ D-minus in the just released KCSE results. And we heartily congratulate him for the great effort a midst his heavy duties as MCA.

Ong’oma sat for his exams at Kanyawanga High School.

His next destination is most likely to be Nairobi Aviation for a possible Certificate course in Business/PR/Marketing or something that can help him be effective as an MCA. We wish him the best!

Three dead, over 100 hospitalised after Homa Bay cholera outbreak

Three people died and over 100 others were hospitalised on Monday following a cholera outbreak in Homa Bay.Two died at Ndhiwa subcounty hospital and at Oridi dispensary while seeking treatment, said County health executive Lawrence Oteng’.
He said the third person died at Oridi village while being taken to a hospital. “It is true that that there is a cholera outbreak in the county and we have had 122 patients who have been admitted in various health facilities,” he said.
Oteng' said patients are being treated in Ndhiwa, Homa Bay town and Rangwe, and that steps have been taken to curb the spread of the disease.
“We have formed a cholera management committee to deal with surveillance and management. The team has visited residents at their homes," he said.
He added that kiosks and hotels are being inspected.Oteng' urged residents to observe personal hygiene and follow advice given by health officers.
An outbreak in Migori county left seven dead and about 80 admitted last week.
Hawking of food was banned in the county and public health staff ordered to inspect eating joints until the outbreak is contained.Health experts warned that the disease may continue to spread due to lack of clean water.

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Governor Cyprian Awiti to drill 21 boreholes to ease water scarcity in Homabay County.

Cyprian Awiti – Governor Homa Bay County, has announced a plan to sink 21 boreholes at strategic locations across the county.Speaking in Ngoche village in Karachuonyo constituency, Gov Awiti said the tenders for the boreholes were advertised last week and the drilling is set to start in the next two weeks.
He said the project will draw funds from the Sh65 million kitty set aside for water provision in the current financial year.“We have declared 2015 the year of water and the sinking of the 21 boreholes is part of a wider plan to supply residents with clean water in the next two years,” said Awiti.
He added: “The 21 boreholes will add to several water projects we are already undertaking in the areas worst-affected by water scarcity.” The governor said they will collaborate with the Islamic Aid Foundation in the project.
The President of the foundation, Sheikh Khalfan Khamis, said they will work closely with the county government to help improve lives of Homa Bay people through provision of water and health care.Population growth; “We have deep interest in Homa Bay because the governor is a very humble and honest man who is keen on improving the lives of the people,” said Khamis, who is also the chair of the National Council of Muslim Scholars in Kenya. Mr Awiti said his government pay more attention to water, health and infrastructure in the current financial year. Homa Bay County boasts abundant water resources due to its proximity to Lake Victoria, but rapid population expansion and climate change has compounded water shortages.

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Awiti denies using public cash in campaign

(Cord co-principal Kalonzo Musyoka flanked by Senator Elizabeth Ongoro(left) Governor Cyprian Awiti and Homa Bay women rep Galdys Wanga (right) during campaign rally in Rangwe on Sunday)

 HOMA BAY Governor Cyprian Awiti has denied using public resources to campaign for ODM senate candidate Moses Kajwang’.
On Thursday last week, National Agenda party candidate Fred Rabong’o accused Awiti of taking sides by publicly campaigning for Kajwang’.
“It is hard to separate governorship from Awiti in the eyes of the public, especially when he is seen campaigning for a candidate,” he said.
Awiti campaigned for Kajwang’ in Sindo, Suba subcounty, last Tuesday.
He however said he attended the meeting to explain the county’s development programmes to residents.
Speaking to the Star in his office on Tuesday, director of communications John Oywa denied allegations Awiti spends county funds to campaign for Kajwang’.
“Those are allegations that cannot be proved and even if the governor has to attend a rally organised by an ODM candidate, he would not use county government resources,” Oywa said.
He said Awiti is an ODM member and can support a candidate of his choice.

Who’ll fly ODM’s flag in Homa Bay?

 Copy Daily Nation

This they are doing by either reaching out directly to the former Prime Minister or through

Intense lobbying is going on within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) cycles after the party announced it would use direct nomination in arriving at who will fly its flag in the upcoming Homa Bay senatorial by-election on February 12 after the party’s nominations were disrupted last Monday.

So intense is the process ahead of a crucial Monday meeting that each of the aspirants hoping to be selected is scrambling for the attention of party leader Raila Odinga, who is thought to have a big say in the process that will also involve the ODM National Elections Board.

This they are doing by either reaching out directly to the former Prime Minister or through people close to him.

Mr Philip Okundi, Mr Caroli Omondi, Mr Silas Jakakimba, Mr Fred Rabongo, Dr Kenneth Kambona, Mr George Mboya and Mr Moses Kajwang’ have declared their interest in the ODM seat.

And, as the lobbying continues, the Sunday Nation has learnt that some aspirants have also asked Mr Odinga to rein in his elder brother, Oburu Oginga, to stop what they call “interference” in the process of replacing the late Otieno Kajwang’.

REGIONAL BALANCE
With the ODM top brass meeting on Monday to review the process of picking the flagbearer, it is also emerging that the party could have narrowed down on three potential candidates after some aspirants told Mr Odinga at a joint meeting that Mr Okundi’s name should be struck out.

They pointed to an agreement reached before last year’s General Election that allocated the senate seat to Suba/Mbita regions, the governor to Rachuonyo and the Women’s Representative to Rangwe/Homa Bay town. Mr Okundi comes from Rangwe.

Mr Rabongo, who comes from Mbita, said the process must guarantee regional balance.

“The seat belongs to us. All aspirants from Suba/Mbita have agreed that nobody from outside will run away with our seat and the Suba council of elders has said as much,” he said.

Mr Caroli Omondi, a former aide of Mr Odinga, said the pact still holds.

“We still have a governor and a women’s representative in office from other regions as was agreed. The only thing that has changed is that we lost a senator,” he said.

GAUGE BASED ON MERIT
Only Mr Jakakimba has a differing opinion on the pact. “I have heard about the informal Memorandum of Understanding being referred to and suggestions that the seat should go back to Suba region.

It’s not my domain to comment about what would happen if a non-Suba lands the ticket, but what I firmly believe in is that all candidates must be gauged based on merit and their individual policy platforms.”

Mr Omondi asked the party to use the National Elections Board together with the National Executive Committee to carry out the nomination.

“Because this would be a team of relatively many people, it would certainly be objective. And, in doing this, they need to consider merit, intellectual material and an earlier interview all aspirants were subjected to.

It will also be fair to look at the financial support all of us have given to the party for the last one decade,” he said.

He denied suggestions that he would kick ODM out of Orange House in Nairobi, which he owns, if he is not selected. 

“I have supported the party since inception. In fact, I took the minutes the day it was formed and so my support will continue,” he said.

DIRECT NOMINATION WELCOMED
The Sunday Nation learnt that one of the candidates initially thought to be the front runner has been relegated to the periphery after allegations emerged that he ferried goons that disrupted nominations last Monday.

According to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission timetable, political parties have up to December 27 to conduct primaries.

This was after the High Court added 10 more days following a suit by ODM challenging the initial timeframe as being too tight to carry out credible nominations.

Candidates will then present their nomination papers between January 15 and16, setting the stage for the official campaigns between January 17 and February 10.

Most of the candidates who spoke to the Sunday Nation have welcomed the party’s decision to pick a candidate through a direct nomination.

They said they were aware the party was strained financially to conduct another poll barely a few days after the last primaries aborted.

WEED OUT INTERFERENCE
To further give credence to the issue of interference from some party honchos, Mr Omondi said: “We must also come out and get rid of interference by some politicians, especially from Siaya, who have a vested interest in the outcome of the selection process.”

Mr Jakakimba said the change movement being championed by Cord required a visionary leader who will not only articulate issues at the level of the county but also nationally.

Dr Kambona, another aspirant, denied claims that he had withdrawn from the race.

“I am still in the race for the ODM ticket. I have not stepped down for anybody, therefore I urge my supporters to keep up the fight until the matter is decided tomorrow,” he said in a statement sent to the Sunday Nation.

As the battle shapes up, proposals in support of Mr Moses Kajwang’, a brother of the late senator, have also been fronted.

JAKAKIMBA: Caroli has not BOUGHT me, I can NEVER be BOUGHT

Homa Bay senate aspirants intensify internal lobbying ahead of ODM Elections board decision
Reports that Homa Bay senate candidate Silas Jakakimba has been bought off by Caroli Omondi are farfetched and untrue, his campaign manager Tyrone Omole has revealed.
“He is in the race till the end. We are awaiting the decision of NEC. . .and why would anyone want to buy him? He is not in charge of NEC or even the elections board. His supporters may not even vote for the candidate purported to have bought him. Consider such reports as hearsay,” said Omole.
This is the last weekend for residents of Homa Bay ahead of the party’s decision to select one candidate among the seven aspirants for the by election slated for February.
There are reports of realignments with allegations that some candidates have opted out of the race and are now supporting others. Homa Bay Daily has learnt the ODM Elections Board will present three names to the party’s National Executive Council, NEC, to select one person to be the party’s flag bearer.

The beneficiaries of the political winds sweeping the county seem to be Eng. Okundi, Caroli Omondi and Silas Jakakimba.
This came even as revelations emerged that the ODM Elections board has struck out Moses Kajwang’ from contesting following the chaos which rocked the party nomination exercise and which is being credited to his Brother TJ Kajwang’s bank accounts. However, we were unable to confirm this as calls to the ODM Director of Communications Mr. Phillip Etale went unanswered.
Also out of the race is Fred Rabongo, whom sources reveal has opted out following nightlong meetings with top ODM officials. However, Rabongo may have opted following revelations of a battery charges on a Mombasa woman.
Oscar Kambona and George Mboya are still in the race, but their fates are not known, as the party is very unlikely to pick any of them which will automatically lead to a thrashing defeat by the moneyed Hillary Alila who is vying as independent.
Elsewhere delegates who were allied to Engineer Okundi have urged the NEB to consider any other candidate but not Caroli and Kajwang , they blamed the two for pushing the idea of Clan MoU that led to NEB to sidelining Okundi.
For Caroli, matters were made difficult as Suba Elders endorsed Silas Jakakimba who has also received the party’s endorsement from Ndhiwa sub branch after Alila who hails from Ndhiwa pulled out. Jakakimba’s chief campaign manager dismissed rumours that his candidate had stepped down for Caroli, saying such reports show the kind of desperation in their competitor’s camp.
“We are not even competing against Caroli. Our major challenge is on another candidate. Let’s not even talk about Caroli here,” said Tyrone Omole, the man in charge of Jakakimba’s campaigns.
Within NEC, the newly endorsed party honchos will face their hardest task in choosing one candidate. Several NEC members are young and formed part of the Team Fresh whom the late Kajwang’ viciously opposed. It remains to be seen if they will endorse Moses whose only selling point is that he should finish the term of his brother, much to the chagrin of Homa Bay voters who maintain the position wasn’t hereditary.