Nyanza youth to challenge old guard at polls
By People.Reporter, January 12, 2022Kepher Otieno
A number of youths have declared interest in various seats in the Nyanza region, breathing fresh air to contests that have attracted veteran politicians in the past.
Despite inexperience in politics, the group of greeenhorns is daring older politicians in battles for key seats.
The youngsters seek to make a stab at the governor, senator, woman representative, MP and Ward Reps positions.
They anticipate to ride on the high population of age mates they feel will be empathetic to their course.
Their boldg entrance into the races across the region is, however, giving the veterans something to seriously think about. They are energetic and well resourced financially.
The ambitious hopefuls are led by the CAS Ministry of East Africa Community and Regional Development Ken Obura, who is eyeing the Kisumu governorship.
Obura has launched an onslaught for the seat occupied by Governor Peter Anyang Nyong’o, who seems to have an edge after his recent appointment to ODM leader Raila Odinga’s presidential strategic team.
Like Obura, who has hit the campaign trail, a number of other youths have declared interest for various elective seats.
In Kisumu, Bonyo Elijah Oburu is running for Kisumu Central seat. He is the son of East Africa Legislative Assembly MP Oburu Oginga.
“I am in for it and not turning back. It’s our time to call and embrace change for the common good of all youth,’’ he said.
The seat is held by a youthful politician Fred Ouda, who also says he will defend the seat.
Upped campaign
Both are in their 30s and are seeking the ODM ticket. So far, they have upped the campaign game and are moving around Kisumu City wooing young people to back their bids.
Festus Amimo, a youthful journalist, is also eyeing Nyando parliamentary seat.
“This is our time to prove our energy, unity and collective strength, which is being allegedly abused by some power barons,” Amimo, a presenter with KBC, said.
In the senate race, a youth, Philip Pande, 33, is also going for the seat and is seeking to oust Senator Fred Outa.
The senator is said to be considering running for governor.
Pande has come up with a platform for all the youth to meet, share their leadership skills and to pool their resources.
The platform is known as Kiongozi Platform and is headquartered in Nairobi with the main branch in Kisumu.
“This is an Emerging Leaders Platform –a spring board for Grassroots Youth, and Women,” he said.
Pande said they intend to use the forum to mobilise and galvanise youth votes. So far they are enlisting the youth aspirants.
“We want to bring all of them on a table for a common political course,” he asserted. “You can be bet in the next two to three months the wave will be strong.’’
Youthful population
Pande said the country boasts of a youthful population saying they made 79 percent.
He said it was surprising that the big number is not reflected in the national and county leadership.
“The country’s politics and opportunities that come with the same are dominated by those who make only 3.9 percent of the country’s population. This is not an attack on the latter but a reminder that despite young people’s dominance in numbers our participation and access to political party spaces and privileges is still experiencing a huge challenge,” he said.
In the last elections, only 27 out of the 290 elected members were youth with only 430 out of the 1,450 Members of the County Assemblies (MCAs) being youth.
“Eight of our young women made it through as women representatives. Perhaps where our energies are beginning to pay is the senate where 11 of the 47 elected senators are young people,’’ he asserted
In the Woman Rep seat, Valentine Otieno, 23, is also seeking to contest the seat held by Rosa Buyu.
Valentine lost her father at 14 while still a Form Two student at Moi Suba Girls High school.
She lost her mother, too, three years later. Valentine reckons that she has a first-hand understanding of the suffering of mothers and youths.
The young woman aims to set up a “Mama Mboga Market Prosperity Kitty” which will be a sustainable interest free small trader’s loan.
“This will supplement the dwindling capital for fishmongers of Seme, small scale traders of Katito and mobile accessories vendors in Kisumu,” she said.
In Migori County, six aspirants, all aged below 40, have been angling to replace Senator Ochillo Ayacko.
The senator is switching ambitions to the governor seat.
But none of them have experience in the political arena save for Eddy Oketch who ran for governorship and lost in the last elections.
Among the young contestants is Victor Okuna, 30, who has never vied for any political seat.
He wants to fight for the youth and feel this is their seat to win.
“We will mobilize youth to elect one of us,” he said.
The electrical engineer dismissed the nuanced belief that the Senate is a preserve of old and experienced politicians.
“It only needs mature actions during sensitive debate and proper oversighting of the counties of bills generated by lower Houses,’’ he said
Also in the race is Kenneth Okech, 33, a political science lecturer from Kanyasa Ward in Nyatike constituency.
Other aspirants are Holly Okwama, 38, Misare Njaga, 31, a young Nairobi advocate and Philip Bunde, a businessman.