By Our Political Correspondent
The forthcoming Kasipul parliamentary by-election has taken a decidedly sharper tone after Dr ODM party leader Dr Oburu Oginga issued a blistering defence of the official ODM candidate, Boyd Were. Dr Oburu tore into critics who have sought to portray the youthful Mr Were as an unworthy heir riding solely on the legacy of his late father, former MP Charles Ong’ondo Were, who was brutally murdered earlier this year.
“Anyone trying to belittle Boyd Were is not only being unfair, it is politically wrong,” Oburu declared, to loud applause. “This young man went through a proper, competitive ODM nomination process. He earned his place. Attempts to undermine him are nothing short of sabotage, and the party will not tolerate it.”
The intervention carries both emotional and strategic weight. The by-election was triggered by the shocking killing of Charles Ong’ondo Were, an event that still casts a long shadow over the constituency. Oburu carefully framed Boyd not as a dynastic placeholder but as a competent leader capable of honouring his father’s work while injecting fresh energy.
“Let us reject propaganda and divisive politics,” Oburu urged voters. “Focus on the future of Kasipul. Let us campaign peacefully and deliver development, stability and dignity to our people.”The crowded field has turned the contest into one of the most unpredictable by-elections in recent Nyanza history.
Alongside ODM’s Boyd Were, voters will choose from a colourful cast of challengers:Flamboyant independent Philip Aroko, renowned for his grassroots mobilisation and theatrical campaign style;
Linda Aoko Ouma, the only female candidate, who is campaigning on community empowerment and social services; Philanthropist Robert “Money Bior” Riaga, whose pledge to channel his entire MP salary back into local projects has won him a strong youth following.
National Liberal Party’s Omondi Koyoo and several other independents are adding further pressure on the ODM vote. Political observers see Dr Oburu’s fiery address as a calculated move to shore up party unity at a moment when independent candidates threaten to fragment the traditional ODM bloc.
With the campaign entering its final fortnight, sources within the Orange Party say senior figures are increasingly worried that internal grumbling and external attacks could hand victory to a non-ODM candidate in what has long been considered a safe seat.“Oburu’s statement is both shield and sword,” a senior ODM official in Homa Bay told The Weekly Vision on condition of anonymity. “It is meant to silence doubters inside the party and send a clear message to rivals that Kasipul remains ODM territory.”
As the by-election date approaches, one thing is certain: Dr Oburu Oginga has drawn the battle lines, and the fight for Kasipul is now as much about party loyalty and regional pride as it is about the individual candidates themselves.
