Nyong’o, Kisumu Senator lock horns in vicious supremacy battle
A feud between Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o and the county’s Senator Fred Outa has plunged the devolved unit into a constant state of animosity with all eyes trained on the 2022 governor race.
The fierce political rivalry between friends-turned-foe has divided Kisumu residents, with the senator’s backers wasting no opportunity to discredit the governor.
A section of county workers have also been sucked into the high stakes political plot whose endgame is to portray Nyong’o as a failure.
The two leaders have locked horns over the governors’ response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the floods in Muhoroni and Kano areas where Outa hails from.
Outa has accused Nyong’o of arrogance and disrespect for other leaders. They accuse the governor of arbitrary decisions without consulting other elected leaders and stuffing the county’s top positions with people from his Seme clan.
Doing little
The senator, who helped Nyong’o oust former governor Jack Ranguma, has accused the governor of doing little to cushion the people of Kisumu against the pandemic.
Outa on Saturday disrupted Nyong’o tour of the flood-hit Muhoroni, pointing fingers at the governor for Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa’s aborted trip to the region.
“We don’t want to hear what Anyang’ is saying here. That is nonsense, they are just stories and we don’t want to hear them,” bellowed Outa on the public address system that drowned out the governor’s speech to the press.
But Nyong’o yesterday defended himself, saying Wamalwa and his Water counterpart Cecily Kariuki could not tour the area because of bad weather.
“I was in the area waiting for the two ministers who were supposed to distribute food but Eugene called me saying he could not fly in due to bad weather,” Nyong’o told People Daily yesterday.
According to Nyong’o, food was still available for distribution by the National Cereals Board and Produce (NCPB) of Kenya.
“It is my take and feeling from my interactions with the people on the ground that County Government of Kisumu is unprepared for any eventuality,” charged Outa.
Any forays into Nyando and Muhoroni sub-counties by the governor are vigorously resisted by Outa and his backers.
Last year, the governor was heckled and pelted with stones twice when he led a team to Ombeyi to educate residents on a National government decision to host a Special Economic Zone in Miwani.
Last Saturday, Nyong’o was assessing the damage caused by floods when Outa stormed and disrupted his meeting at K’Ogalo evacuation centre. The senator arrived with his public address system and launched a tirade at the governor who was addressing the media.
The governor launched at the senator and was only restrained by his handlers. Unbothered Outa then acknowledged the presence of Kisumu County Commissioner Susan Waweru, National Irrigation Board officials present and the Woman Representative Rosa Buyu. Nyong’o’s engagement ended prematurely and he left abruptly.
Not consulted
“We understand that the governor called Eugene Wamalwa not to come here because he was not consulted as the area governor. The Cabinet Secretary was already at the airport but had to cancel the trip.
“A lot of people have come here expecting relief from the national government. As a result, we have decided there will be no money given to the county government to distribute.
“We have asked that all resources from national government be channeled to National Irrigation Board to distribute to our people who are now in danger of raging floods,” said Outa,during the memorial service for the six bouncers killed in Busia last year.
Political differences between Prof Nyong’o and Outa have since intensified.
Outa lit the fire when he claimed Prof Nyong’o was partly to blame for the murder of the six.
The senator said some of the bouncers had been employed as casuals by former Governor Ranguma,
