Fall-outs from party nominations and supremacy wars among key leaders in PNU and ODM are likely to affect the outcomes of the Bomachoge and Shinyalu by-elections.

Although officials of the two parties indicate all is well ahead of the August 27 polls, the situation on the ground indicate otherwise.

Reports indicate that some losers in the ODM party nominations and civic leaders are campaigning for candidates from rival parties.

And in PNU the decision by affiliate parties to sponsor their own candidates has raised fears that it could give advantage to candidates from other parties.

Affiliate parties

PNU-affiliate parties that have fielded candidates in Shinyalu and Bomachoge are Ford-People, Narc-Kenya, New Ford-Kenya, and Safina.

Candidates in the Shinyalu race are Christopher Masitia (Ford-People), Patrick Chungani (PNU), Kizito Mugali (ODM), Daniel Khamasi (Kaddu), Silas Andega (New Vision Party), Jennifer Shamalla (UDM), Patrick Ayisi (Narc-Kenya), Babetu Amutavi (New Ford-Kenya) and Ambrose Lusuli (Kanu).

Those contesting the Bomachoge seat are Joel Onyancha (PNU), Simon Ogari (ODM), Albert Nyaundi (Ford People), Zephaniah Nyang’wara (UDM), Lugard Mogusu (Kaddu), Cyprian Nyamwamu (Safina) and Credius Oigara (Kenda).

Lands assistant minister, Mr Bifwoli Wakoli, said the decision by PNU to transform itself from a corporate-member party into a single political entity is likely to affect the performance of its candidates in the two by-elections.

“It means its supporters will have divided loyalty,” he said.

Dr Noah Wekesa, the PNU vice-chairman, blamed the fielding of candidates by PNU affiliates on lack of proper coordination and failure to identify a single candidate in the two constituencies.

“It’s true that the fielding of candidates by PNU affiliate parties is going to affect us because voters are going to abide by their mother parties. But we are working hard with the support of other smaller parties to ensure the success of PNU candidates,” he said.

Nominations loser

In Shinyalu, the ODM elections coordinator, Mr Geoffrey Nasiali, said some civic leaders in the area and a loser in the party nominations were campaigning for a rival candidate but the party had launched a major campaign to ensure it retains the seat left vacant following the death of Mr Charles Lugano.

The by-election is also said to have rekindled supremacy wars between deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi and Mr Cyrus Jirongo, the Kaddu party leader.

Mr Jirongo is campaigning hard for his party’s candidate, Mr Daniel Khamasi, who is a former MP, to snatch the seat from ODM and get a foothold in Kakamega, seen as Mr Mudavadi’s stronghold.

ODM campaign

In Bomachoge, the ODM campaign is said to be not going on well because of a queit supremacy war between Public Works minister Chris Obure, who is leading the ODM campaign, and Trade assistant minister Omingo Magara.

But Mr Joel Oyaro, the ODM secretary in Bomachoge, said differences between Mr Obure and Mr Magara were not likely to affect the performance of their candidate.

“People of Bomachoge know who they want to be their next MP and come election day, they will exercise that right,” Mr Oyaro said.

Some ODM supporters in the two constituencies have raised fears that wrangles between Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Agriculture minister William Ruto, could affect the performance of the party’s candidates in the two constituencies.

Others say the fielding of candidates by UDM, regarded as an affiliate party of ODM, is aimed at testing the party’s popularity outside Rift Valley.

It should be remembered that during the Ainamoi, Sotik and Bomet by-election UDM candidates gave ODM candidates a run for their money.

Kenyenya rally

On Friday, Mr Ruto had been expected to address a rally with Mr Odinga at Kenyenya Green Stadium in Bomachoge constituency but he (Mr Ruto) did not turn up.

The Agriculture minister was about 30 kilometres away at Nguru Girls Secondary School in Mr Magara’s North Mugirango constituency where he led 15 MPs in dismissing a fresh push for a local tribunal to try post-election violence suspects.

The Shinyalu and Bomachoge polls will be the third by-elections to take place after the 2007 General Election.

Two separate by-elections produced mixed results for both PNU and ODM last year.

In the by-elections held in June, ODM won three seats (Ainamoi, Emuhaya and Wajir North) and PNU won two (Embakasi and Kilgoris).

However, ODM was to suffer another setback when it lost two other MPs during the same month following the deaths of Bomet and Sotik MPs Ms Lorna Laboso and Mr Kipkalya Kones in a plane crash.

In the resultant by-elections, ODM weathered internal dissent to retain the two seats.

Dr Joyce Laboso won the Sotik seat left vacant by her sister, Lorna, while in Bomet, Mrs Pauline Kones, the first wife of former Roads minister Kipkalya Kones, won.