Political Blogs
Fotunes Change As Power Base Shifts In Gusii Politics
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- Published on Monday, 10 November 2008 04:26
In the new line-up, Prof Sam Ongeri (Kitutu Masaba) and Chris Obure( Bobasi) were mandated to picked to head the minstries of Education and Public Works respectively in the 40-member Cabinet, while four other lawmakers were tasked to be assistant ministers. Omingo Magara was picked an assistant minister in Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta's office, Dr James Gesami (Public Health and Sanitation), Joel Onyancha (National Heritage) and Richard Momoima Onyonka (Foreign Affairs).
What perhaps came as a surprise is the fact that many expected Magara to be named Minister instead of Obure. But to the South Mugirango MP's critics, the news was a justification that Magara is yet to be initiated to a community elder. The critics say despite the fact Magara has a carved himself an enviable niche in national politics, especially within the ranks of the Orange Democratic Movement, he has yet to be an influential politician in Gusii.
Obure has been around a bit longer than Magara. He is better known in te larger Gusii and he is acceptable across the clan based politics that determine the local politics as opposed to the brush Magara, who is viewed more as a political activist than a leader who can be relied on offer invaluable guidance on the community's social and political issues.
All this comes at a time when the community is yearning for a leader who can be shape its collective fears, hopes and aspirations at the national level especially in this era of coalitions. This, position previously occupied by former Roads Minister Simeon Nyachae. Nyachae who was swept aside by Dr Robert Monda in Nyaribari Chache had become a darling in the community, especially during the 2002 Election when local voters threw their weight behind him for Presidency as a block.
However, Nyachae's political ideologies were later to be rejected outrightly by his constituents, handing him a humiliating defeat in last year's poll. Following the fall of the curtain on Nyachae's influence, many thought Prof Ongeri would easily step into his shoes and be a “spokesman” of the community. And when the Minister was tasked to sit in the Kofi Annan-led mediation talks, it was thought his political star was on the rise ,but he seems to have taken a back seat and faile to rise to the occassion.
But, with the elevation of Obure, there is expected to be a tussle of leadership in the community, though it has been argued previously that the MPs were to work as a team for the good of the community. A sitting MP who declined to be named said, there was not much difference between Ongeri and Nyachae because both of them come from Nyaribari, a clan which has held sway over others for political expediency.
The MP said with Obure a board the Cabinet in the absence of Nyachae, the Minister stood a better chance of overtaking Prof Ongeri in setting the pace in local politics. The community was more of a divided house in the election, dividing its votes between the leading presidential contenders President Kibaki, Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka.
But as the legislators said during their tour to the region last month, the locals suffered heavily when the poll outcome was disputed and they expected a double reward from ODM and PNU. True to their word, the community which has a PNU nominated MP (George Nyamweya), benefited when the new Cabinet was finally unveiled.
Sources say the community would have benefited more because ODM was likely to nominate Janet Ongera but the party had to drop her name later in circumstances not clear to the public. Perhaps, what failed to go down well with the new line up is the conspicuous absence of North Mugirango/Borabu MP Wilfred Ombui's name.
The Kanu MP who acquired a name in the national map in the way he tackled the mayhem that rocked his constituency which borders Rift Valley province was expected to be named at least as an assistant minister. When this never happened, it basically frustrated his people who swiftly dismissed President Kibaki as a leader who had failed to see the potential of their MP. In West Mugirango, there were mixed feelings, with Dr Gesami's supporters breaking into dance because he had been chosen assistant minister yet this is his first term in Parliament.
But former MP Henry Obwocha's supporters, many who come from his Abasamaro clan did not have anything to celebrate for. Sources say, Obwocha's clan is in for trouble if it does not stop voting for its own as a block as it did in previous years. The former MP, according to observers, will go down in the books of history for capitalizing on clan politics for political survival. With Obwocha's exit though, Dr Gesami faces an uphill task in uniting the sharply divided constituency.
As one character in David Mulle's My Dear Bottle says; “the great challenge to many kind of leader on his earth is to love his immediate people, yet not love them above any one else. That is the only way to safeguard you people.” The soft spoken lawmaker who served in various capacities as a civil servant will be closely watched to see if he undoes the wrongs that have been done by former legislators of the area.
