Failure by Cord leader Raila Odinga and
co-principal Kalonzo Musyoka to agree on a single candidate played into
the hands of the Jubilee coalition and cost them the Bonchari
parliamentary seat in the Monday’s by-election.
The
coalition also lost in a civic ward repeat poll in Webuye, Bungoma
County after ODM and Ford Kenya fielded separate candidates who were
flatly beaten by a contestant from New Ford Kenya which is affiliated to
the Amani Coalition.
Political analysts Tuesday
concurred that had ODM and Wiper put aside their internal differences
and fielded one candidate, Cord could have won the race.
The
seeds of discord were sowed during the 2013 ODM nominations when Mr
Charles Onyancha quit the party after he was denied nomination and
joined former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper Party to contest
the March 4, 2013 elections. The election was nullified through a
petition.
Marshal their supporters
Ford
People’s Zebedeo Opore emerged the beneficiary, beating ODM’s John
Oyioka Oroo and Wiper’s Onyancha when he garnered 10,947 votes. Mr
Oyioka scored 6,977 votes while Mr Onyancha got 5,171.
Prof
Olang Sana, a political science lecturer at Maseno University, said ODM
or Wiper would have succeeded if they joined forces to marshal their
supporters to beat the re-emerging Ford People party.
“If
you sum up the total votes garnered by Wiper and those of ODM, it would
have been possible for the two parties to produce a winner in the
election,” he said.
Last Friday, Cord leader Raila
Odinga, as he campaigned for Mr Oyioka said ODM’s victory in the
by-elections will not affect the coalition unity.
“When
a man is married to many wives, the children in that marriage are free
to go out and play during daytime. But when evening comes, all the
children go back to their respective houses,” he said.
In
the civic by-elections, Amani coalition affiliate parties, United
Democratic Forum (UDF) and New Ford Kenya clinched seats in Mau, Igembe
South and Misikhu, Webuye West constituencies.
Coalition
leader Musalia Mudavadi said the two seats was an outcome of Amani’s
rebranding. “We have outperformed major resident coalitions in their
home turf.
It shows Kenyans are rethinking their faith in outfits that polarise the country,” he said.
“When
we said we are re-branding, we meant it. Kenyans are rewarding sober
and focused leadership away from noise. We could even surprise them in
Mathare”, he said.
In Misikhu, Ford-K chaired by Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula and ODM lost after each fielded individual candidates.
New
Ford-K’s Robert Mwembe emerged winner with 4,120 votes against Ford
Kenya’s Milliah Msungo who got 1,977 votes. ODM’s Aron Masinde got 184
votes.
The victory was a big win for former New Ford-K
leader Eugene Wamalwa over Ford-K’s Moses Wetang’ula. Mr Wamalwa and
Bungoma Governor were solidly behind Mr Mwembe while Ford-K’s secretary
general Eseli Simiyu as Ford-K MPs campaigned for Mrs Masungo.
ODM campaigns were spearheaded by MPs John Waluke (Sirisia) and Ababu Namwamba (Budalang’i).
In Maua, UDF’s Duncan Kangwana Miriti won the seat with 1,825 votes, beating TNA’s Victor Mitine who scored 1,264.
Additional reporting by Erick Ngobilo
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