Migori politics has intensified senatorial interest as a a fresh young contestant Oketch is standing promising to his faithful supporters in up coming elections.
Experts are revealing that the by-election will be a two-horse race between 27-year-old Federal Party of Kenya candidate Eddy Oketch against seasoned politician and ODM’s Ochilo Ayacko in what promises to be a battle royal.Barely three days before residents of Migori county go to the ballot on Monday, October 8, to elect their senator in the forthcoming by-election, candidates have been crisscrossing the vast region in the last minute rush.
Pushers have helped him charm himself to the local community especially the youth who regard him as a role model. But the little known political greenhorn is no push over in Migori politics as he came in second in the last senatorial election in 2017, having lost to Orange party candidate Ben Oluoch Okelo, who passed on Monday, June 18.
Despite his relative inexperience, he has sent jitters among the Opposition party leadership which has equally flexed its financial might and power, leaving nothing to chance. On Thursday, October 4, Raila joined his top guns in Rongo, Awendo, Kuria West and East Constituencies to reinforce Ayacko campaigns.
Raila received a cold reception in the two Kuria constituencies perceived to be Oketch’s strongholds. Both constituencies voted overwhelmingly for Jubilee in the 2017 General Election. Aware of this, the ODM leader continued with the campaigns on Friday, October 5. Earlier in the week, the Orange party deputy leader and Mombasa Governor Hassan Ali Joho had led a team comprising Nyanza and Nairobi MPs in marshaling voters in the area.
Kuria West MP Mathias Robi declared support for Mr Okech, saying since Kuria was Jubilee-dominated, they would all vote for Okech.
Meanwhile, Solomon Hodo of People’s Democratic Party pulled out of the race at the weekend to back Oketch, as the vote hunt for 87,000 Kuria votes continued to take shape.