2002 Elections

The Scramble For Kitutu Chache

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Published on Saturday, 30 June 2007 22:00

 

Mr Simeon Nyachae earned a major boost in 1996 when his forces managed to penetrate Kitutu Chache, a constituency which had hitherto been under the firm grip of his long-time rival Dr Zachary Onyonka. With the by-election ocassioned by Dr Onyonka's death Nyachae ally Jimmy Angwenyi managed to shut out Mr Richard Momoima Onyonka, the late minister's son, in the Kanu nomination. He went on to capture the seat against feeble opposition challenge, while the young Onyonka retreated to the drawing boards to re-strategise alongside other anti-Nyachae forces in Gusii.

So far, it has not quite worked out. In 1997 Mr Angwenyi once again shut out Onyonka at the Kanu nominations and went on to reclaim the seat with an even greater majority. To date, Mr Angwenyi remains eternally grateful to Mr Nyachae as the force behind his victory, and will be decamping with him to Ford People. But in being so closely tied to Mr Nyachae, the MP has neglected local issues and never become his own man, his rivals say. Those eyeing the Ford People ticket are already expressing fears that Mr Angwenyi might use his close association with Mr Nyachae to shut out other contenders for the nomination in Kitutu Chache.

That explains why many of those intending to contest have lately taken to highlighting issues they feel are likely to spur enough controversy to counterbalance the incumbent. One such controversy revolves around money allegedly lent out by Marani Farmers' Co-operative to influential personalities in the constituency just before the last elections, but which is yet to be repaid. Mr Angwenyi has also been hard put to explain why the Nyakoe-Marani-Kegogi-Miruka road, the Marani-Rioma-Oyugis road and the Kegogi-Nyamira road remain in poor state though he pledged to do something about them prior to his re-election in 1997. Other complaints focus around the once-thriving coffee, milk, and pyrethrum sub-sectors, which today totter on the verge of collapse. Concern is also being raised about the state of once shining schools in the constituency like Cardinal Otunga, Nyabururu Girls, Kioge Girls and Itibo Boys.

Already there are indications Kitutu Chache will be a full house with a number of aspirants already having indicated their determination to wrestle the seat away from Angwenyi. The aspirants include Kisii Kanu brach secretary and former Kenya Football Federation secretary Sam Nyamweya; Nairobi realtor and insurance broker Jacob Nyaburi; Co-operative Bank of Kenya director and chairman of the Gusii Union and Kisii Rural Sacco Stephen Ogamba and Nairobi businessman Orina Momanyi. Mr Nyamweya, an enthusiastic anti-Nyachae activist in the region, told the Nation last week that he was keeping his options open. Another likely candidate is Mr Ronald Rasugu Ogamba, the Gusii County Council chairman and a relative Mr Stephen Ogamba. Other names doing the rounds are those of Mr James Nyakundi who put up a spirited performance against the late Onyonka in 1992; Dr Onyonka's younger brother, Prof Oeri Tumbo, who took time out from his occupation as a university don to make an abortive bid for the Kanu nomination in the 1996 by-election; and controversial former Nakuru Kanu branch chairman Godfrey Asanyo.

Kitutu Chache happens to be the mythical origin of all the Abagusii clans and clannism therefore has not played quite an important role in determining election winners. However, the Nyachae-factor will largely determine the direction of things in Kitutu Chache.