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Old rivalry revived in Nyaribari Masaba

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Published on Saturday, 02 June 2007 06:26
An epic duel is taking shape in Nyaribari Masaba as two old rivals, Public Health minister Sam Ongeri (Kanu) and Dr Hezron Manduku (Ford People) face off for the seat.

Of the 10 Kisii constituencies, one of Kanu's hopes of stemming the Ford People wave lies in Prof Ongeri, who is running an aggressive and well-financed campaign. This has made him the Ford People's target, as they view him as one of the party presidential candidate Simeon Nyachae's influential foes in the area.

Despite losing his post as a Nyanza province representative to the Kanu national executive council and fellow Kisii Cabinet minister Chris Obure being placed as the main pointman against the Nyachae forces, Prof Ongeri is determined to soldier on. His main campaign message has been that Mr Nyachae stands no chance of becoming president and the Kisii community would be better off remaining loyal to Kanu.

The rivalry between the Prof Ongeri and Dr Manduku dates back almost two decades. In 1992 when Mr Nyachae was on the ascendancy in Kanu, he helped Dr Manduku to oust Prof Ongeri from the Nyaribari Masaba seat. Five years later when Mr Nyachae's clout in Kanu was waning, Prof Ongeri bounced back. One of the reasons the minister has been sidelined from Kanu's campaigns in Kisii is the perception that he, unlike Mr Obure, is more strident and tends to alienate the residents as he remains one of the few Kisii politicians who tear into Mr Nyachae without restraint.

His supporters and those of Mr Nyachae have clashed several times over the opening of Ford People offices in the constituency. Clannism might not count as much as it did before the 1988 General Election when voters ignored personal strength. Prof Ongeri suffers the disadvantage of having many of his constituents as Mr Nyachae's clansmen. Two other candidates, Mr George Nyamweya (National Rainbow Coalition) and Mr Alfred Momanyi Nyairo (Social Democratic Party), are also in the running, but they are more likely to be also-runs.