A section of Kisumu leaders have defied warning by ODM leader Raila Odinga to stop engaging in premature campaigns for various elective seats ahead of 2027 General Elections.

Although Raila has repeatedly warned the leaders against engaging in early campaigns barely two years after the country held its general elections, they are undeterred.

Kisumu County Deputy Governor Mathews Owili and other aspirants at the weekend launched aggressive campaigns to succeed his boss Professor Anyang’ Nyong’o in 2027.

Owili combed villages in Nyakach constituency, where he held several political rallies.

He is leveraging on the ODM party recruitment drive to reach out to the people and to register as party members as he sells his agenda to electorates as he shapes his candidacy ahead of 2027 polls.

On the other hand, Senator Tom Ojienda has also engaged the campaign mode, meeting groups of women and youth each weekend, same as Nyakach MP Aduma Owuor.

Criss-crossing county

Also involved in the intense campaign for the gubernatorial seat is Kisumu Central MP Joshua Oron, who has been actively crossing the 35 wards that dot the county to grace fund drives each week.

So busy are the leaders to an extent that they have now made other aspirants declare interests in their current seats, likely to remain open for contest, when they graduate to governor’s position.

The aspirants giving no room to hold on until 2027 General Elections are declared officially open.
So intense are the gubernatorial campaigns, that each weekend, the aspirants are holding a series of public rallies at every opportunity.

Succession politics

But such is the prevailing political extreme developments in the lakeside county that is highly inundated with succession politics each weekend with aspirants showing no signs of holding on for the right time.

Odinga has consistently discouraged the leaders from engaging in campaigns saying it’s against the wishes of the electorate who are expecting service delivery at the moment at the expense of politics.

“Premature campaigns are putting the country in a perennial state of political campaigns. We just had elections recently but people are declaring interest in various seats from MCA, MP, Senator, and Governor in 2027,” said Raila.

This is not viable at the moment, Raila stated recently in Kisumu, although it’s a key part of testing the waters and exploring whether a campaign is viable is lining up early support.

Campaigns want to come out strong. This requires resources, including contributions from donors and support from volunteers, which may change by time and may not be sustainable now
Raila said: “There is nothing wrong in aspiring to rise in leadership, the only problem is that campaigns become an occupation. But they ought to know the timing is key. Politics has its scheduled timelines.’’

The former premier claimed a charged political atmosphere distracts the nation, the Counties, and especially those given the mandate to lead, to execute their constitutional obligations to wananchi.
“When you start challenging a governor now, he will stop working so as to engage in campaigns.

Even an MP will not execute his/her mandate well when someone is campaigning in their backyard,” Raila said.

The interest for Oron for instance to run for governor has seen his seat attract three candidates who have hit the campaign trail in earnest, making Kisumu County busy with politics 24/7.

They are Bob Onyango alias CEO, former MP Fred Ouda, who has returned to the political fold, Kondele ward MCA Joachim Oketch and Bernard Aete, who wants to succeed Oron as Kisumu Central legislator.