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Orphaned Ford-People drifts into oblivion
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, 30 December 2008 21:01
Among the casualties were former influential Cabinet minister Simeon Nyachae. Only Bomachoge’s Joel Onyancha survived the strong wind of change.
But Onyancha’s survival was short-lived. No sooner had he been declared winner than his competitors, Mr Simon Ogari and former MP Zephania Nyangwara, filed a petition challenging his victory. After a lengthy and full hearing of the suit before Kisii Resident Judge, Justice Daniel Musinga, the High Court declared Onyancha’s election null and void.
However, Onyancha was handed a lifeline after the court absolved him of committing any electoral offence, which could have seen him locked out from contesting the seat again. Although he has lost the seat, he got further reprieve after Musinga ordered the Electoral Commission of Kenya and the Returning Officer, Mr Gitahi Machari, to meet costs of the suit.
It seems the party is falling with the same speed it gained popularity after the 1997 General Election. Ford-People rose to become a major stakeholder in President Kibaki’s administration, especially in Nyanza Province. The region is associated with opposition politics.
Though it would go down in history as having united the Gusii people under one party, Ford-People is on the brink of collapse. Nyachae has since resigned as party leader, effectively quitting active politics. His close allies — including former MPs Jimmy Angwenyi (Kitutu Chache) and Godfrey Masanya (North Mugirango/Borabu) — ditched Ford-People in favour of the Party of National Unity.
Party Affairs
None of the former Ford-People MPs is seriously talking about the party affairs. Other leaders who left the party soon before the last elections included chairman Farah Maalim, the National Assembly Deputy Speaker. Nevertheless, Ford-People will be remembered for having championed the creation of five more districts in the larger Kisii. The region has eight districts.
Apart from lobbying for creation of new administrative units, the party is credited with having negotiated for appointment of individuals from the region to prime Government jobs.
Under the Ford-People unity, the Gusii community successfully demanded elevation of Kisii University Campus into a constituent college of Egerton University. Given that Nyachae was largely the sole financier of the party, Ford-People is faced with an uphill task to reposition itself for the 2012 General Election.
In fact, it is in the public domain that with the exit of Nyachae, Ford-People is as good as dead. Onyancha, who represented the party’s face at national level, is an embattled man. If the Court of Appeal upholds Musinga’s judgment, then Ford-People will remain with only two MPs in the Tenth Parliament — Kinango’s Gonzi Rai and Peter Mwathi (Limuru). The party also boasts of sizeable number of civic leaders across local authorities.
