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Raphael Tuju
The political marriage between Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga has paved way for a comeback of Nyanza politicians once rejected as moles working with the government of the day.
The politicians had been forced into political oblivion after they differed with the Luo political kingpin and his ODM party but now seem to be the major beneficiaries of the handshake deal as they stage a rebound that is already sending shockwaves across the region.
They are back in action with a loud bang sending their competitors into total confusion since they are money loaded with access to state machineries apart from the much valued assurance from ‘baba’ that they were fit and free to face voters in the area.
The elected and non-elected leaders from Nyanza region been previously targeted as moles are said to be laughing all the way to the bank following the handshake deal which has completely neutralised the ‘mole tag’ used by their opponents to set them against voters.
In an interesting turn of events, voters in Nyanza are presently awake to the fact that the region needs visionary leaders with development agendas as opposed to previous style when one’s chances of getting elected highly depended on party matters.
The new thinking had in the past saw a few politicians from the area elected on non-ODM parties.
The push gained full momentum after the handshake deal as politicians previously perceived to be fierce critics of Raila were now being rebranded by the chief opposition leader for key positions in the region.
Talk is now rife, former Rarienda MP Raphael Tuju and former Kisumu Central MP Ken Obura have their eyes trained on Siaya and Kisumu gubernatorial positions respectively have literally scattered political matrix in the two counties and political players have been sent back to the drawing board.
The former Rarieda MP faced all manners of animosity from his tribesmen in the name of opposing regional political godfather Raila.
Trouble started he showed early signs of deserting Raila and it was at that particular moment that he was told on his face to pack off his perceived ‘developments’ in any case they were the reasons he was undermining Raila.
Things gradually became even much tougher for his entire immediate family and this forced him to relocate his mother from the village to Nairobi on increased fear she could be attacked by Nasa supporters.
However, true to the fact that in politics there are no permanent enemies or friends, latest newfound working relationship and activities between Raila and some of his political nemesis is sending jitters across the Nyanza region.
The entry of Tuju into the gubernatorial race would definitely spoil the party for area Senator James Orengo whose plans to swap the seat with incumbent Cornel Rasanga has been met with strong resistance from voters and a section of leaders in the region.
Orengo’s political graph both in Siaya and Nyanza region has drastically dropped following his nondevelopment style of politics despite being in politics for over three decades.
The Siaya senator has come under scathing attack over the recent ODM defeat by a little known MDG party in the Ugenya by-elections with a section of locals accusing him of a wrong narrative he created against development conscious David Ochieng of the MDG party.
Ochieng maneuvered a barrage of propaganda missiles labeled against him as a William Ruto man to emerge the winner after garnering 18,730 votes against Karan’s 14,530 votes.
Political analysts further note that Tuju is a no pushover and with the handshake and his previous past development record, he has a head-start in the Siaya gubernatorial race which was hotly contested between incumbent Rasanga and immediate former Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo.
Apart from currently making significant public appearances with Raila, Tuju has proved to be a main tormentor of Ruto, the common enemy, rocking him from within the Jubilee party and this has earned the former foreign affairs minister all the marks he needs to win in Luo politics.
Weekly Citizen has established that the DP is fighting tooth and nail to arrest control of the party from Tuju.
When Uhuru and Raila declared a new beginning in Kenyan politics, in Nyanza it was the political breed of Tuju that emerged the victors while the power thirsty politicians thriving on labeling rivals moles were left stranded and confused.
Tuju has quickly arrested the opportunity presented by the handshake moment to make another appeal to the Luo voters despite the embarrassing defeat in the last general elections when he lost Kisumu constituency to Ouda who rose to fame when he stripped himself to show his naked loyalty to Raila.
In Kisumu county, Hezron Mcobewa has been a victim of the ODM shambolic nomination process despite being a darling to many voters.
Mcobewa has sustained a consistent online criticism against Governor Anyang Nyong’o who has been roundly accused of high level corruption, nepotism and skewed appointments said to be derailing services at the Kisumu County government.
Other notable faces deserted by voters after going against Raila and expected to make a come up following the handshake deal are the former Karachuonyo MP James Rege.
Hostile ground during the last general elections forced him to shelve his third term reelection bid to campaign for President Uhuru who later offered him a soft landing ground by naming him the board chairman at the prestigious government firm KETRACO.
The former legislator was elected through ODM in 2007 and in 2013 but later broke ranks with party leader Raila Odinga.
In the meantime, incumbents in Nyanza who deployed ‘mole’’ tag
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