Baraka Karama @PeopleDailyKe
Nominations in ODM strongholds were yesterday turning into a fiasco with several key losers allied to party leader Raila Odinga rejecting results and claiming victory.
It was still unclear by last night how ODM would break stalemates in some counties in its Nyanza bedrock where outcomes were disputed.
In Kisumu county, protests marred the victory announcement of Raila’s close ally and former ODM secretary general Anyang Nyong’o against incumbent governor Jack Ranguma.
Kisumu split
In Kisumu county, two results emerged for the gubernatorial seat. Nyong’o was declared the winner by returning officer Tom Okong’o at Thurdibuoro Secondary School tallying hall in Nyakach constituency after garnering 164,110 votes against Ranguma’s 71,480.
Ranguma was separately declared the winner in Kisumu town by the deputy returning officer Richard Kiyondi after bagging 118,73 votes against Nyong’o’s 32,028. Fred Ouda, an aspirant for Kisumu Central parliamentary seat was also declared loser despite seeming to have beaten the incumbent Ken Obura.
Protests erupted in the town with supporters of Ranguma and Ouda saying they would vote for President Uhuru Kenyatta in the August poll.
“I just can’t imagine that this party can abuse democracy and declare a loser the winner,” fumed Ouda. And last evening, Nyong’o maintained he had “legitimately won” the nominations and was ready to serve the people of Kisumu.
“I did enough campaigns and, as a result, I have been duly nominated to vie for seat of governor of Kisumu,” he said flanked by Nyando legislator Fred Outa, who was equally nominated as the senatorial candidate under controversial circumstances.
In Raila’s home county of Siaya, his elder brother Oburu Oginga and cousin Jakoyo Midiwo disputed the parliamentary results of Bondo and Gem constituencies respectively.
Oburu lost to incumbent Gideon Ochanda and while businessman Elisha Akuba ousted Midiwo. But matters got out of hand when Oburu was later handed an ODM certificate at a Kisumu hotel by one of the Siaya county returning officer Joshua Anyona who said he had garnered 15,784 votes against Ochanda’s 9,538 votes.
For the Siaya governorship seat, Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo who got majority of votes in his area and the neighbouring Bondo constituency was also dissatisfied with the Siaya results.
Gumbo said, “We feel, as loyal ODM members, we have been robbed and that has really made us lose faith in this party”.
Rasanga was declared winner after garnering 143,460 votes against Gumbo’s 87,460. William Oduol and Carey Orege getting 11,443 and 11, 200 respectively. Gumbo and Midiwo threatened to vie as independent candidates.
Migori stalemate
In Migori county, incumbent Okoth Obado and his rival Ochillo Ayacko who both declared themselves winners of the governor race were still locked in a stalemate yet to be decided by the party.
In Homa Bay county ODM chairman John Mbadi’s parliamentary results were disputed by challenger Caroli Omondi.
And police in Homa bay were still investigating an incident in which one of Mbita MP Millie Odhiambo’s bodyguards was killed in a violent confrontation with her rival’s supporters and houses torched in her rural family home.
County police commander John Omusanga said they suspected the house was set ablaze by supporters of her political opponent.
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