Six elected leaders, a former governor, and a former Member of Parliament illustrate how the Kisumu governorship race is shaping up to be one of the most coveted contests in the country ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Kisumu Central MP Joshua Oron, Kisumu Deputy Governor Mathews Owili, Kisumu Town West MP Rosa Buyu, Senator Tom Ojienda, Nyakach MP Aduma Owuor, and Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga have all thrown their hats into the ring in a bid to become governor of Kenya's third-largest city.
Among the county's elected MPs, only Seme MP James Nyikal, Nyando MP Jared Okello, Muhoroni MP Onyango K'Oyoo, and Kisumu East MP Shakeel Shabbir are not eyeing the governorship.
Interestingly, Kisumu's first governor, Jack Ranguma, who served between 2013 and 2017, is also seeking a comeback. Former Kisumu Central MP Ken Obura, who served on an ODM ticket between 2013 and 2017, has also declared his interest in the seat.
All six elected leaders are eyeing the ODM ticket and are expected to battle it out in what promises to be a fiercely contested nomination race.
Mr Obura has already announced that he will run as an independent candidate, while Mr Ranguma is yet to reveal the party ticket he will use.
Former Ministry of East African Community Chief Administrative Secretary Ken Obura. He has been endorsed to seek the ODM party ticket for Kisumu gubernatorial seat in the August 9 polls.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
Governor Anyang' Nyong'o is ineligible to seek re-election after serving two terms and has not publicly endorsed any of the candidates.
Such is the intensity of the race that every weekend, aspirants criss-cross the populous county selling their agenda to voters as voters rip big in handouts.
Unlike Mr Okello and Dr Nyikal, who have not publicly backed any candidate, Mr K'Oyoo has declared his support for Mr Oron, who hails from the Kano clan in Nyando Constituency but currently serves his first term representing the cosmopolitan Kisumu Central Constituency. The clan has an assertive presence in Kisumu East, Muhoroni and almost half of the cosmopolitan Kisumu Central constituency.
Mr K'Oyoo has already fired the first salvo at ODM over the gubernatorial nominations, saying they will not accept any other candidate apart from Mr Oron.
“We want to tell ODM that this time there is nothing like someone coming with a certificate. The only certificate that we will accept is Dr Oron because of what you have done and the support you enjoy,” said Mr K’Oyoo.
The vocal MP has been traversing Nyando and Muhoroni constituencies, arguing that the two regions share common interests and should unite behind Mr Oron's candidacy.
“Just like Nyando, Muhoroni is supporting Dr Oron and we know some people will come with money but let them know this time we are not changing our position because of the pressure from the party,” he added.
Veteran Nyando politician Lumumba Ouya, popularly known as 'Kalausi', also believes the entire Kano clan should rally behind Mr Oron, whom he describes as the strongest candidate among a crowded field of aspirants.
“We as the Kano clan have declared that the only politician we will support for governorship is Dr Oron. Our people have suffered and he is the only person who can initiate and accomplish development in this region which has been neglected,” said Mr Ouya.
Kisumu Central MP Joshua Oron and former Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
Last weekend, the battle for support within the populous Kano clan came into sharp focus when Mr Oron and his allies reportedly pressured Mr Ranguma to withdraw from the race, only for the former governor to reject the calls.
“It is Oron and his people who removed the leadership from the hands of Kano, and they cannot come here to pretend that they want to bring back the leadership. Why did they betray the people’s cause, and why did they leave the government they formed?” posed Ranguma while dismissing calls for Kano clan votes to be consolidated behind a single candidate.
He was referring to the 2017 ODM primaries, when Nyando politicians led by then MP Fred Outa (now Kenya's ambassador to Egypt) and Mr Ouya opposed him and successfully persuaded many Kano voters to back Prof Nyong'o instead.
"They are the ones who spoiled this thing and made me lose the election. Today they are claiming they have the future of the county at heart and they are the ones who can lead," added Mr Ranguma.
Dr Oron, however, has dismissed Mr Ranguma's criticism, arguing that he supported the former governor when he needed political backing and that it is now time for him to reciprocate.
“When Ranguma vied for governor in 2013, I was a wanted person, and I had to seek refuge in Homa Bay, for those who do not know. Why is he not supporting me now? In 2017, I was Ranguma’s chief agent. So I have supported Ranguma,” said Mr Oron.
Even as blame games continue within the Kano clan, a similar contest is unfolding in neighbouring Nyakach Constituency, where Mr Aduma, Prof Ojienda, and Dr Owili all hail from.
Prof Ojienda, whom many residents refer to as 'De La Rue' because of his philanthropic activities, has insisted that he will not back any other candidate and remains confident of securing the ODM nomination.
“I’m going to get this thing and I’m sure I will win the ODM nominations, there is no chance for a loss,” he said during an interview with Ramogi FM.
At the grassroots and in urban centres across the county, Prof Ojienda has been engaging residents directly and has assembled a well-coordinated team to represent him at funerals and economic empowerment events.
However, he faced hostility from a section of ODM supporters who booed him at Kirembe Grounds in Kisumu West on May 31 during a Luo Nation rally convened to affirm support for President William Ruto's re-election bid.
The seasoned city lawyer later claimed that ODM had spent money transporting supporters from across Nyanza to the event, remarks that did not sit well with the party leadership.
Some residents view him as a political turncoat because he was among the first elected leaders to publicly align himself with President Ruto shortly after the 2022 elections, at a time when ODM leader Raila Odinga was still challenging the new administration.
He is also serving his first term as senator, unlike some of his rivals who are regarded as more experienced politicians.
Nyakach MP Aduma Owuor addresses the public during a past public fucntion.
Photo credit: File | Nation
Mr Aduma Owuor is banking on his close relationship with senior ODM leaders, particularly Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga, to secure the coveted party ticket.
The soft-spoken MP has frequently accompanied Dr Oburu at both party and family functions and has consistently defended the senator's leadership within the region. Many say he has the ear of the Odinga family, having worked closely with Raila in Kisumu politics when he was a youth and had not become an MP.
Dr Owili, Ms Odinga, and Ms Buyu have not campaigned as aggressively as some of their rivals but have all declared their intention to run.
Dr Owili, who has served as Prof Nyong'o's deputy for the past decade, is believed to be counting on his boss's support in his quest for the county's top seat.
Mr Obura, who has been running a well-funded and highly visible campaign, believes Kisumu residents should elect leaders based on performance rather than party loyalty.
“We have to stop this trend of people being elected and they serve ODM interests instead of the electorate. I wouldn’t sacrifice and give up on my ambitions again, that is why I’m running as an independent candidate,” he said.
“Anybody vying on an ODM ticket should be the enemy of the people and shouldn’t be elected as a governor. If our people want development then they should look at the performance of each candidate, make an independent choice rather than vote on the party lines,” added Mr Obura.
The politics of handouts has since gained momentum in the county governorship race, with residents accepting Sh1,000 and rejecting or abusing aspirants who give them Sh500 or Sh200 notes.
Kisumu County has been a stronghold of ODM politics since the party's formation in 2005, and the party will be keen to maintain its dominance in the region.
In the 2022 General Election, ODM won six of the county's seven parliamentary seats, with Kisumu East being the only exception after Shakeel Shabbir secured victory as an independent candidate.
The governor, senator, and woman representative positions also went to ODM candidates.
Kisumu has traditionally been the venue where Raila Odinga made major political pronouncements that often shaped the country's political direction whenever he faced significant political challenges.
