Opinion

By Dickson Odhiambo

There is a need to consider regional balance in Kisumu County’s elective positions as alignments and realignments take shape ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The first governor of Kisumu County, Jack Nyanungo Ranguma came from Kadibo in the Kano clan, while his Deputy, Ruth Odinga (current Kisumu County Women Representative) hails from Kisumu West.

The Senate seat in 2013 went to Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o of the Seme clan. Nyong’o is in his second and last term as Kisumu governor. Kisumu’s first Women Representative was Rose Ogendo Nyamunga, from Nyando.

Dr. Mathews Ochieng Owili from Nyakach continues to serve as Nyong’o’s deputy, having been first elected in 2017, and re-elected in 2022.

Nyakach also produced the Senator, Tom Odhiambo Ojienda, who took over from Fred Outa.

Outa, from Nyando is now Kenya’s Ambassador to Egypt. After he bowed out of elective politics in 2022, the constituency did not benefit from Kisumu County’s political leadership arrangements. 

As we head to 2027, Nyando seems to be fit to occupy the deputy governor’s seat. Former County Secretary John Ochieng Auma is reportedly angling for the seat.

Although Dr Joshua Oron, the current Kisumu Central Member of Parliament (MP) who hails from Nyando is eyeing the governor's seat in 2027, the larger Kano clan should be fully involved in political arrangements of 2027.

John Olago Aluoch, is a seasoned legislator who served as Kisumu West MP for three consecutive terms. He is reportedly poised to become the next Senator. 

With greater understanding of devolution and vast knowledge in matters of law, he stands a big chance.

Joshua Aduma Owuor who is serving his third term as Nyakach MP, has vast political experience spanning more than 30 years.

Having been a Town Clerk in many towns including Nairobi City, he understands the management of Counties and therefore is best suited to become the next governor of the great county of Kisumu. Aduma hails from Nyakach Sub County.

He would make a good political partnership with John Ochieng Auma who has roots in Nyando. Auma is an astute administrator of international and local repute.  

Residents of Nyakach Sub County, to a large extent, believe it is their turn to produce the County’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), with Kano and Seme clans having produced the first two governors.

Nyong'o's Deputy Dr Mathews Owili is eyeing the coveted seat to succeed his boss. Professor Tom Odhiambo Ojienda, is also seeking to become Kisumu’s third governor.

On the other hand, Rosa Akinyi Buyu, the current Kisumu West MP is the only woman reportedly eyeing the gubernatorial seat.

If her ambitions come true, she will become the first Lady governor in Kisumu, and perhaps the second in Nyanza after Homabay’s Gladys Wanga.

The writer is a freelance journalist based in Kisumu. He is the pioneer chairman of the Kisumu Journalists Network (KJN). Reach him via: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

By Laurine Jepchirchir

The grey crested crane which is also called the queen of the marsh (low-lying wetlands with grassy vegetation) is an endangered species of bird native to Africa.

They are usually denoted with grey feathers and a golden crown on their heads, their distinctive honking, spectacular dances which involves head bobbing and wing fluttering making them unique among the other five types of cranes in Africa.

Their stunning ‘crown’ that gives these birds their name is interestingly an adaptation because it allows these birds to blend with the tall grasses making them invisible for predators.

They are also a national symbol of beauty and serenity in the Ugandan flag. In addition, they act as animals to some Kalenjin communities in the rift valley region making them a cultural value.

Their wide spread wings make them a sight to behold in the skies, their large numbers attracting tourists further. They have a lifespan of 30 years.

The grey cranes are also unique for their monogamous breeding behaviour, as they only have one mate in their entire life.

They breed during rainy seasons when the wetlands are less susceptible to predators. They will lay up-to two eggs with an incubation period of 28-31 days.

Even though these birds have a wide variety of benefits to offer, they are facing extinction due to harsh climatic changes, fueled by modern steaming factors like industrialization, deforestation,urbanisation and global warming.

A good example is urbanisation, entailing rural- urban migration to cities and towns, which eventually forces people to encroach vast areas of lands, in this case clearing forests and marshes.

Cutting down of trees is another factor that makes these birds suffer in the hands of humanity.

Crested cranes are called roosters meaning they spend their lifetime perching on trees, but if the trees are cut, they will have no other way of surviving away from their predators.

We could practise sustainable living that involves using resources in a much safer way, without compromising the same resources for future use.

It includes making sure we protect wetland areas that these birds love to breed, plant more vegetation,use safer renewable sources of energy to prevent industrialization that is usually coupled with dumping raw waste in swampy areas. which eventually affects the cranes.

If we have more forested areas and reduce pollution of our environment, then these birds will exist freely within us, with their many social to economic benefits, we will continue mutuallybenefiting from them as much as they benefit from us.

But only if we fight to prevent climate change from wiping them away from the face of the earth, due to human activities and environmental changes.

Laurine Jepchirchir is a fourth year student at the University of Eastern Africa Baraton, Kapsabet taking Journalism and Mass Communication. She can be reached via: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

By Ayub Mwangi 

A good politician will tell you that there is no opportune time for politics. In politics, it is all about survival in the jungle, politicians cannot afford to rest on their laurels in the hope that things will sort themselves out.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is one such politician. He finds himself torn between conducting himself as an executive, an ambitious politician, and a person elected to champion the interests of his people.

Owing to the competitive nature of politics, Gachagua finds himself at the heart of stiff competition within his own Kenya Kwanza coalition, whose players wouldn’t mind seeing him sent to oblivion.

Within his Kenya Kwanza Alliance, Gachagua has to keep a watchful eye on Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula. The two wouldn't mind plucking his political feathers and having him for dinner.

But the duo doesn’t pose a bigger headache than his brothers and sisters from the Mt Kenya region, who have broken ranks with him to back Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Professor Abraham Kithure Kindiki as their spokesman.

The politicians claim that he has been unable to provide a focal point around which they can channel the “interests and priorities of their people for actualization.”

They accuse the DP of bullying, intimidation, and threats to the detriment of orderly prioritisation of the developmental needs of the people.

That is not even the worst of accusations. Recently, he was accused of being behind the deadly Gen Z protests that saw the youth raid the National Assembly in one of the boldest actions ever seen in the struggle for the democratisation of this republic.

Gachagua has also to contend with the entry of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) into the newly reconstituted broad-based government formed after the deadly protests.

ODM driven by the mantra “who is laughing now” are ready to show that they are occupying a position that was rightfully theirs from the start.

He has not made things easy for himself by championing the “interests” of the mountain at what others see as the expense of the nation.

Given the conflation of interests, the DP has to deal with so many enemies within and without whose agenda are as diverse as they come.

There seems to be a sustained campaign against the self-proclaimed son of Mau Mau. Every step, action or utterance is watched with a critical eye. He has become the Kenya Kwanza administration’s poster boy for all its failures and goofs. The man is now the butt of all jokes and subject of memes, attacks and debates.

The confluence between the interests of a section of Kenya Kwanza Alliance, internal UDA politics and the Azimio coalition makes it all the harder for him.

While Azimio has every reason to pursue Gachagua, Kenya Kwanza Alliance has succession politics in it.

Will he survive the onslaught?

From where he sits, he is doomed either way. If he keeps quiet, goes slow and acts like a gentleman, he will sink like a stone tossed in water. If he continues with his pursuit, he will continue attracting negative publicity.

Nevertheless, the publicity will keep him in the limelight and ensure that he remains relevant to his Mt Kenya constituents. He has found a clarion call “Bora Usiguse Murima” which any political strategist will tell you will be more gripping than the hustler movement.

Secondly, none other than his boss President William Ruto taught him that you shouldn’t sit down with entitlement, and wait for things to happen in your favour.

For Gachagua, if he conducts himself otherwise, he will rue the day when he decides that he wants to play cool politics.

The writer is a communication consultant based in Mombasa. He can be reached via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

By Ayub Mwangi 

Tea has shifted.

It is no longer the dark brew made of tea leaves mixed with water that is served with or without sugar, with or without milk, with mugs or cups but a new form of conversation in which gossip, rumour, innuendo, allegations, and counter allegations circulate online.

Many celebrities find themselves in the public limelight for things they may have done or alleged to have done in private, with grievous consequences to their businesses, psychological wellness and reputation.

For instance, in the last one week, we have been treated to high level tea in which the life and times of the Most Reverend Benson Kamau also known as Ben Kiengei or Guka wa Nairobi of the Jesus Compassion Ministry in Ruiru Kiambu County has been laid bare.

An apparent fallout between his friends has left him hanging naked and fighting for his reputation. His alleged escapades have been laid bare and if it is true that is who he is then lives life with a big spoon.

But, none of the actions could have been more damaging than the telephone conversation dumped into the social media allegedly given by one woman at the heart of the controversy.

Listening to the conversation, two things emerge, a woman in deep pain who was ready to pour her heart out to a dishonest and slimming blogger driven by views and clicks. I can see the glee in the blogger's face as she squeezes every drop of pain from the businesswoman, knowing that the tea will be served hot.

The moment Bishop Ben and his friends went into controversy and started trending; they should have been prepared for the hundreds of phone calls that were to come their way by people purporting to want to get clarity on the matter. In journalistic lingo, we call it the right of reply.

This is where now their media advisor should have stepped in. We can borrow from the example of Dr. Fiona Hill a British woman who had worked for four American Presidents as Advisor on Russian affairs.

When Dr. Hill was asked how she conquered fear during the hearing on the impeachment of President Donald Trump, she said that she relied on the advice of a media person for preparation and training.

“……..I think, the benefit of having someone like yourself who’s been in the media who worked with me just before the impeachment trial, and that sounds in some respects somewhat absurd, but was basically saying, Look, you’re going to get up there, there’s going to be cameras stuck in your face, this is going to be like nothing you’ve ever done before and you have to find some focus,” Dr. Hill who was presenting a lecture titled “Freedom from Fear” in the BBC 2022 Reith Lecture series said.

A media interview can be scary and at the same time, the interviewer can use subterfuge to draw information from you that you may not have intended to reveal, sometimes even contradicting yourself.

A media person will help ensure the consistency of the message and at the same time guard against overwhelming demands for response.

The advisors will tell you when to write a short press statement that does not say much, but buys you time to let the whole controversy die down.

While responding in person puts the people at the heart of the controversy in the forefront of the hot tea, it does not help much but fan the conflict.

People who are in anger, loss, or revenge, will always try to outdo each in revealing stuff that was done in secret, much to the detriment of the bro code.

A media person will help you deal with the situation objectively and without anger. They know how the press and to some extent bloggers ask questions and will respond professionally and promptly.

Nonetheless, the client must watch out for well-trained media relations experts and not the one who is ready to carry client bags in order to impress them.

Clients must find advisors who will give sound professional counsel and not the praise singing gatekeepers, who are not ready to tell you the truth on your face.

The writer is a communication consultant based in Mombasa. He can be reached via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

By Ayub Mwangi

Since June this year, Kenya has witnessed a series of civil and labour related unrests, the mother of which was the Gen Z protests that sought to push the government to abandon the Finance Bill 2024.

The protests were successful and an embattled President William Ruto was forced to withdraw the Bill, and reconstituted his government in line with the demands by the protesters who were complaining about corruption and largesse in government.

The protesters had been irked by images of government officials living in opulence at a time when the majority of citizens could barely make ends meet, and a time the government was seeking to impose a bigger tax burden on their shoulders.

The young, educated and tech savvy protesters were calling upon the government to higher levels of accountability in the management of public affairs.

Few months down the line we have seen protests by employees of the Kenya Airports Authority (KPA) demanding that the government comes clean about a deal to hand over the management of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Adani Group, an Indian owned company.

The aviation workers claim that the deal poses a risk to their jobs in favour of foreign workers.

Does it mean that the government and other duty bearers cannot meet part of their bargain if protesters do not push them? Should the government wait for protests or should it listen to the ground before taking any action?

Evidently, the cheese has moved. It is no longer business as usual. While government officials could engage in all manner of corruption without fear of reprisal, the levels of awareness have risen and more people can now demand for accountability.

Times have moved from when only a handful of people would oppose the government. Even then, they would be christened dissidents, tribalists, and enemies of development.

Most of them would find themselves behind bars for daring to raise their voices. The corrupt leaders would rally their tribesmen behind them and use them to attack anyone who opposed the "it is our time to eat” system. 

Today however, tables have turned. The levels of education are high enough for citizens to be aware of what is happening. Citizens are likely to demand for accountability citing the power given to them by the constitution.

The leaders have no choice but to improve on the management of public affairs, become servants of the people and deliver as per the mandate and the manifestos upon which they were elected.

The protesters are calling for a higher level of accountability and openness from the leaders,failure to which they will always find themselves in a reputational crisis.

The writer is a communication consultant based in Mombasa. He can be reached via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.