Raila Odinga heads to Kisii county tomorrow, Sunday, just three days after Ford-Kenya Deputy Party leader Richard Onyonka, former MPs (Bomachoge Chache) Simon Ogari, (Nyaribari Chache) Dr. Simon Monda, and Kisii county UDA co-ordinator Samuel Omwando defected to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
According to reports, Mr. Odinga will be in Kitutu Chache constituency, home to current longest-serving MP Jimmy Angwenyi, also Jubilees’ Deputy Majority leader. The MP has also hinted at joining the ODM Party.
The former prime minister’s visit to the county comes at a time ODM bigwigs are jostling for the party’s ticket as they seek to replace Governor James Ongwae, who is retiring in 2022.
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The top four contenders already having their boots on the ground, campaigning to be Kisii governor in 2022 are Senator Sam Ongeri, Woman Rep Janet Ongera, Deputy Governor Joash Maangi, and Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati.
Sources from the county also indicate Governor James Ongwae intends to have a say on who succeeds him, and some say his preferred successors are Senator Prof Sam Ongeri, Deputy Governor Joash Maangi, and Woman Representative Janet Ong’era.
Ongeri and Ong’era were in Ongwae’s ODM-winning lineup in 2017 while Maangi is still flip-flopping between ODM and William Ruto’s UDA. ,
Raila Odinga’s Sunday visit in Kitutu Chache is, therefore, one of keen interest to the people of Kisii and those on the race to be governor, considering he will be at MP Jimmy Angwenyi’s home.
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Senator Ongeri has been traversing Kitutu Chache North constituency campaigning to be Governor accompanied by Jimmy Angwenyi.