By MN Reporter
Division rocks Suna Community on the choice of gubernatorial candidate in Migori County ahead of the next year’s general elections.
The community is divided on the preferred candidate among the four candidates coming from the community.
The candidates include Migori Woman representative Dr. Pamela Odhiambo, Migori County Secretary Mr. Christopher Rusana, Former Migori MP John Pesa and Businessman Philip Ogwari Mwabe.
Early this year, the community led by the Chair Suba Council of Elders Riogi Riogi put up a committee mandated to identify a single candidate who will face candidates from other regions, deliberations that resulted the endorsement of Rusana as the candidate, following the alleged voting done in a Kisii hotel, a result which was disputed by other candidates, saying that they are all going to the ballot.
Months later, Suba Council of elders Riogi Riogi led other elders to Mabera for the endorsement of the Migori Woman representative Dr. Pamela Odhiambo by Suba-Kuria elders as the choice for the Governor’s seat in 2022 general elections, despite having endorsed Rusana for the same seat.
Former Migori MP John Pesa termed the endorsements as inconsequential and that it’s a mandate of the electorates to decide on their next Governor and therefore he will seek endorsements from the electorates, bringing other members of the community on his side.
Businessman Philip Mwabe said that the alleged endorsements do not reflect the true will of the people, promising to go all the way to the ballot and face other candidates.
However, Migori County Secretary Christopher Rusana, feels that the disunity among the community on the choice for Governor might cost them in the 2022 general elections and might give a chance to other gubernatorial candidates from other region in Migori County a chance to win the race, calling the community to rally their support behind him, having been endorsed by them.
Migori County has eight constituencies which are Rongo, Awendo, Uriri, Suna east, Suna west, Nyatike, Kuria east and Kuria west.
Rongo has one candidate who is Former Rongo MP Dalmas Otieno, Awendo has the Migori County Senator Dr. Ochilo Ayacko, Kuria west has Migori County CEC Water Rebecca Maroa, Nyatike has Migori speaker Boaz Okoth as other constituencies have not produced any candidate for the County’s top job.
The Suna clan, which is part of the Suba community has been angling to field a single candidate to solidify Suna West 46,162 votes and Suna East 46,574 a total of 92,736 out of 389,182 county votes by latest data of registered votes by IEBC.
