By Lameck Baraza
The Ugunja parliamentary by-election is taking shape as residents await official communication from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), regarding dates and campaign time-frames.
Several aspirants have declared interest in the seat, including sitting Members of the County Assembly (MCAs), following the nomination and subsequent appointment of former MP Opiyo Wandayi, as the Cabinet Secretary for Energy.
According to some Ugunja residents, only three aspirants stand a chance if elections were held soon: Moses Omondi, Joseph Alur and Frederick Dor.
Moses Omondi served as the Ugunja National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) manager, since the constituency’s advent in 2012.
He is, some residents say, well-versed in administrative duties. If elected, he will however need to demonstrate his capability to manage the constituency both politically and administratively.
Frederick Dor, a seasoned politician and a businessman based in Nairobi vied for the position during the last general elections, but was defeated by Opiyo Wandayi.
He was among the first politicians in Nyanza to embrace President William Ruto’s UDA political party.
Joseph Alur, a businessman, vied for the MP position in 2013 and 2017 before supporting Wandayi during the 2022 general elections.
According to George Owino, a resident and political analyst from Ugunja, the upcoming by-election will be influenced by two main factors: the party and the direction from the former MP.
Owino noted that Wandayi had set a high development standard in Ugunja, and whoever he endorses from the three will likely become the next legislature.
During President William Ruto’s visit to Ugunja for Wandayi’s homecoming party last week, Suna East MP Junet Mohammed, a key cog in the ODM party requested the president to allow an ODM candidate to replace Wandayi in the upcoming by-election.
“I can narrow down the race to Omondi and Alur. One of them will become the Ugunja MP if they receive blessings from Wandayi and the Ugunja business community,” stated Owino.
He indicated that Omondi stands a strong chance among the aspirants, given his close working relationship with the business community as the NG-CDF manager and his loyalty to Wandayi, and the ODM party.
Ugunja by-election: Omondi, Alur and Dor emerge as top contenders
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