Jirongo’s senate bid, its not a walk in the park



Party Leader of the Federal party of Kenya, Cyrus Jirongo’s Name is not new in to Kenyan political theatre. For those who witnessed the historic 1992 multi-party politics agree that Jirongo were among the young tucks those who pushed for re-election of former president Daniel Moi in the ever competitive presidential elections.
Surprisingly enough, the Kshs 500 note is named after him, ‘Jirongo’. The crusader, who recently dropped his presidential bid in favour of the Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka’s Statehouse bid, should not expect an easy win of the Kakamega County senatorial position.
Cyrus Jirongo was elected to the 8th parliament in 1997 on KANU ticket to represent Lugari Constituency. Two years later, Jirongo fell out with the ruling party KANU and was associated with the unregistered United Democratic Movement party. Attempts for the youthful leader to recapture Lugari Seat were futile as he lost the elections on a KANU ticket to Enoch Kibunguchy of NARC.
Despite the fact that the outspoken legislator decision to step down for the PM and the VP, he has hard task ahead towards clinching the seat on the march 4th general election. Cyrus Jirongo, who earlier had supported the bid of the justice minister Eugene Wamalwa, will now face the bull fighter Dr. Bonny Khalwale in the race to get Kakamega’s top legislative job.
The house of Mulembe, though divided among the Luhyia dialect once again is divided and it’s evident that the battle to control western vote will be between CORD and Amani coalitions.
The Luhyia community is divided in to 3 political big wings; Abaluhya, Maragoli and Hakati with each representing the interests of the Luhyias from Kakamega/Bungoma, Maragoli and Busia respectively. FORD Kenya led by Trade Minister Moses Wetangula used to be the Predominantly Luhyia political party that controlled the Kakamega/Bungoma counties and with Kakamega county breaking away from the obvious the newly formed united democratic forum Party (UDF) chances for Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo clinching the senate seat are unpredictable.
Luhya community has always run down any efforts to vote as a block. Some of the Luhyia clans include Marachi, Samia, Banyala, Bukusu, Wanga, Marama, Batsotso, Idakho, Isukha, Banyore, Tiriki, Maragoli, Kabras, Kisa, Tachoni, amongst other 3 others to make 18.
With the clans defending one of their own it may be hard for the people of Kakamega county to ignore Dr. bonny Khalwale whom they have termed as a the king of the bull fighters in the County to a much passive Cyrus Jirongo who is associated with prime minister Raila Odinga.
Today the entire CORD team led by the premier camped at the county to drum support for the newest member of the alliance. Prime minister’s role in Kakamega County is meant to booster the chances for the Federal party of Kenya leader Cyrus Jirongo.
PM calling upon the people of Kakamega County to vote for CORD is like going to Ukambani and urging the Kamba people to elect ODM members of parliament. It’s impractical and the decision by Cyrus Jirongo to go for the senate on FPK seems to have been a decision that took long to come to a conclusion. He however must remember in a house that lacks a leader, if not a head ends up being controlled by the neighbours.
That explains why former vice president the late Kijana Wamalwa on a ‘speed boat’ sped along the Nzoia River to fish in Lake Victoria (Ford Kenya) while late Martin Shikuku boarded a bus to Muranga (Ford Asili) to make sisal fibre. The entire western block shall eventually be torn between Ford Kenya and Musalia Mudavadi’s UDF and therefore the relevance of Cyrus Jirongo’s FPK might work at his disadvantage when it comes to clinching the Kakamega senate seat on the march 4th.
The emergence of Moses Wetangula of Ford Kenya against Eugene Wamalwa of New Ford Kenya in Bungoma is the replay of the same so is Jirongo and Mudavadi in Kakamega as Busia waits on the fence for dust to settle to sway their votes elsewhere compounding the Luhya unity and make it more elusive.
To sum up the chances of Jirongo clinching the Kakamega senate seat leave alone promoting the candidature of the prime minister in the backyard of UDF presidential candidate’s Musalia Mudavadi is a political rhetoric that can only get answers after the march 4th general election

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