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Not much has changed with Kanu faces in election battle
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- Published on Saturday, 07 July 2007 06:53
But two months later, he became the first man to defect in multi-party Kenya, back to Kanu. He was to win the ensuing by-election and early this year, he was appointed Minister. Now he has failed to win the Kanu nomination to defend his seat having lost to a newcomer Mr Zebedeyo Opore.
On the Kisii landscape, Dr Momanyi was identified with that group that was opposed to the one fronted by fellow Cabinet colleague Simeon Nyachae, but that may not now count for much because there are others identified with Mr Nyachae who fell by the roadside too.
While Mr Nyachae himself sailed through in his Nyaribari Chache constituency, his next door neighbour and relative, Dr Hezron Manduku was stopped in his tracks by the man he shut out in 1992, Prof Sam Ongeri, the former Cabinet Minister, who leads the anti-Nyachae forces in the land of Omogusii .
Then in the neighbouring District of Gucha, former Assistant Minister Chris Obure, who is also identified with the anti-Nyachae group, reclaimed the party ticket to run for the Bobasi seat when he eclipsed Mr Stephen Manoti.
But in Kitutu Chache in Kisii, Dr Jimmy Angweny, who is in the Nyachae group, managed to keep Mr Momoima Onyonka out for the second time running. In Borabu North Mugirango, old man Atebe Marita, a close ally of Mr Nyachae, bowed out.
What this means is that where Mr Nyachae had, over the last few months, managed to knit a close group of Abagusii MPs, both Opposition and Kanu, and keep his enemies at bay, that unity has been punctured by the internal party poll and it has also ushered in the very enemies he sought to keep ou t.
Events in the three Omogusii districts of Kisii, Gucha and Nyamira are of particular interest to observers because Mr Nyachae is a contender in the Moi Succession which makes him a target of those who are in Vice-President George Saitoti's corner. Here is to be found Prof Ongeri.
