Former Kisumu governor has dropped his 2022 gubernatorial bid and will now be backing former Kisumu Central MP Ken Obura who is eyeing the same seat and is expected to face off with Governor Peter Anyang Nyongo for the ODM ticket.
Speaking over the weekend at his Kisumu home, Ranguma told his supporters he is no longer interested in facing off with Nyongo and that he sat down together with other 2022 gubernatorial aspirants over his decision before deciding to settle on Ken Obura.
”We have been having discussions among the three of us, Senator Fred Outa, Obura and I, and this is the outcome of those deliberations. My age does not allow me to fight for the seat. I, therefore, leave it to my younger brother Obura. He still has the energy,” said Ranguma, who had hinted on returning to ODM after running as an independent candidate against ODM in 2017.
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”What happened in the last polls is history. Because I can’t go back to ODM, I am endorsing Ken Obura. He’s still younger. I have no energy to battle this time,” he added.
On his part, Obura, also CAS for East African Community expressed confidence of beating Anyan Nyongo and promised a new leadership in the county when he takes over next year.
”I want to thank the former governor for this bold step. I am confident that I will emerge victorious. We are blessed with rich agricultural land which has the potential to feed the entire lake region. We have to revive the stalled sugar sub-sector and ensure our people are self-sustained,” he said.
Apart from Ken Obura and Governor Nyong’o, others who have shown their interest in the seat are Senator Fred Outa, businessman Ochola Kamili and former County Assembly Speaker Onyango Oloo.
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Other than Ranguma, Governor Nyongo’s first chief Patrick Ouya is another prominent figure from the larger Nyando to back the CAS.
