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Magara Funeral Heralds New Battle of the Titans
- Details
- Published on Monday, 23 July 2007 00:54
At the time of his death, Mr. Magara was an active member of Muungano wa Mageuzi (Movement for Change), the James Orengo-led group of politicians pushing for political reforms through public rallies. The group has attracted President Moi's wrath who has instructed the police not to license its rallies.
But even before the birth of Mageuzi, Mr. Magara had distinguished himself as a public orator and fearless leader both in Parliament and outside. Before 1997, Mr. Magara was an ordinary advocate running his business in Kisii Town, having set up his practice after graduating from India and the Kenya School of Law, three years earlier.
According to informed sources, Mr. Magara's entry into politics was accidental, prompted by protests and outrage over the outcome of the Kanu nomination tussle between two former MPs, Mr. Reuben Oyondi and Mr. David Kombo, before the last General Election.
Mr. Oyondi's supporters felt their man had been rigged out in favour of Mr. Kombo and decided that he joins another party to face his adversary - and by extension Kanu - in the main election.
"But Mr. Oyondi turned down the proposal to join the Opposition and instead agreed to support anyone his supporters settled for," the source said.
The supporters then picked on Mr. Magara, who was literally pushed into the campaign trail.
With assistance from West Mugirango MP Henry Obwocha, Mr. Magara was easily nominated by Ford Kenya and with Mr. Oyondi's financial and logistical backing, trounced Mr. Kombo, a former assistant minister.
Mr. Kombo, however, disputed the results and filed a petition which was later thrown out by an election court.
Within three years, Mr. Magara had gained popularity in his constituency and in Gusii as a whole as a courageous young man who was ready to take on the high and mighty.
At the time of his death, Mr. Magara was facing treason charges, after he allegedly asked Kenyans to pray for the President's death so that the country could be saved from further suffering. Such was his courage.
As a lawyer, he was in the forefront in representing opposition activists and politicians in court. He had at least two such cases pending in court, including the highly-publicised trial of Rangwe MP Shem Ochuodho and another involving Mr. Orengo in a Vihiga court.
To many political observers, the South Mugirango seat will have more significance in national politics than others which have fallen vacant in the recent past.
It is actually being viewed as a premature political contest between former Finance Minister Simeon Nyachae (a close ally of Mr. Magara) and the Kanu establishment whose outcome will be interpreted by many as a sign of things to come.
Ironically, however, neither Mr. Nyachae nor the Kanu heavy weights were prepared for a mini-fight so soon. and had instead been readying themselves for the main contest come the next elections.
Obviously, Mr. Nyachae would not want to imagine that anybody, least of all Kanu, would grab the seat from his Gusii backyard and will use all his energy and resources to ensure his favourite person wins.
On the other hand, Kanu (read President Moi and secretary general Joseph Kamotho) would do anything possible to teach Mr. Nyachae a lesson by taking over the seat.
Indeed, events at Mr. Magara's funeral service in Nairobi on Wednesday - and as the body arrived at the Suneka Airstrip in Kisii - showed that the fight for the seat has already began.
Mr. Kombo, the Kanu loser in 1997, was chased away from the airstrip while Cabinet Minister Sam Ongeri, Mr. Nyachae's political enemy, was barred from addressing mourners in Nairobi.
In fact, Mr. Nyachae, the Nyaribari Chache MP, has taken Mr. Magara's death as his personal loss, and has taken charge of most of the funeral arrangements.
After the MP's burial today, however, Mr. Nyachae's biggest dilemma will emerge: the candidate and party to fill Mr. Magara's seat.
It is widely expected that Mr. Nyachae's chosen candidate will run from an Opposition party, but not necessarily Ford Kenya, the party which sponsored Mr. Magara.
A source close to Mr. Nyachae said that the former minister was not in good political terms with Mr. Wamalwa Kijana, the Ford Kenya boss. "Other than Shirikisho, we might even approach the Democratic Party to sponsor the candidate," the source said.
Sources in Kisii say that Mr. Kombo had been camping in the city since Mr. Magara's death to ensure he gets nominated to stand on a Kanu ticket. But whether he gets nominated or not, the Nyachae factor is likely to influence the outcome.
The source added that South Mugirango people might not be comfortable with Mr. Oyondi, widely regarded as a strong Nyachae ally.
"The people want a new person, like Mr. Magara - who was widely regarded as a neutral force in a constituency that had been polarised by clan politics."
