By The Weekly Vision Team
The leader of the Orange Democratic Movement party, Raila Odinga has put strategies in place that will see all rebel Luo Nyanza MPs lose their seats in the 2027 elections, well-placed sources have told The Weekly Vision. In Gem constituency, Mr Odinga has two possible replacements in mind: Dr. Jalang’o Midiwo and Mr. Abala Wanga. In the last elections, Mr Odinga secretly campaigned for his cousin Dr Jalang’o Midiwo who lost to Elisha. Dr Midiwo was later nominated by ODM to the powerful Commission for Revenue Allocation (CRA).
We have also learned that a fresh plot has been hatched by Mr Odinga and his handlers to have Kisumu City Manager Abala Wanga run against Elisha Odhiambo in 2027. Wanga is a close ally of Raila Odinga and had ambitions to run for the Gem seat in 2022, but was told by Mr Odinga to suspend his ambitions and support Dr Jakoyo. It was, however, through the OMD party leaders’ influence that Kisumu Governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o appointed him to the powerful position of Kisumu City Manager. However, there are whispers that he has fallen out with the governor, with claims that he is spending too much of his time campaigning in Gem at the expense of his official duties.
Sources say Prof. Anyang’ could have a preferred candidate for Gem in 2027 who might not be Wanga. But other sources divulged that Anyang’ could be pushing the agenda for Siaya Governor James Orengo.
Governor Orengo, who is serving his first term, is also said to be crafting his line-up for 2027 re-election by ensuring that only MPs and MCAs allied to him are elected in 2027. It is for that reason that there are rumours that Orengo could be using his Kisumu counterpart to stop Wanga from early campaigns to ensure a candidate of his choice wins in Gem.
In the last elections, Orengo was solidly behind Elisha Odhiambo, while the majority of his supporters were in Midiwo’s camp. It is not known if Orengo will again throw his weight behind the rebel MP or if he is plotting to sponsor a different candidate to run against him in 2027. Elisha Odhiambo has, however, made it clear that he will not defend his seat on the ODM ticket and is most likely to run either as an independent candidate or join the Movement for Democracy for Growth (MDG) led by Ugenya MP David Ochieng.
Analysts say that through Anyang’, Orengo has ensured that Wanga does not have the time, resources, and space to conduct campaigns in Gem. Last week, Anyang’ made a public statement on county staff engaging in early campaigns and cited Wanga and his Deputy Mathews Owili and Roads CEC Salmon Orimba.
While Wanga is eyeing the gem parliamentary seat, Owili is said to be in an early campaign mode to succeed his boss, as Kisumu Governor, Prof. Anyang’, is now serving his second term and cannot run for a third term. The early campaigns in both Siaya and Kisumu counties split the county leadership as well as the county assemblies. In Kisumu, there are murmurs that Anyang’ is working on his succession plans as he plots to run for the Kisumu Senatorial seat in 2027.
The name that has been flouted as his possible successor is that of Nyakach MP Aduma Owuor. Aduma is serving his second term and is a close ally of Raila Odinga. There are also whispers that Kisumu Women Rep. Ruth Odinga could be Aduma’s running mate in 2027. Ruth served as Kisumu deputy governor under Governor Jack Ranguma between 2013 and 2027. In the last elections, she ran for the Kisumu Women Representative and won convincingly. Initially, she had campaigned to run for the governorship but withdrew in support of Anyang’.
