The Beautiful Struggles Ahead of 2017 Polls as Candidates Dare to Cut Against The Grains

Kodira Edmond, one of the many aspirants who’ve decided to go against the odds of popular party norm.

By Nicholas Olambo
As 2017 draws closer, political landscapes are changing every other day. Quite a number of the youths have decided to try their hands in the dirty political waters to at least stir change. They say you can’t do the same thing the same way repeatedly and expect a different result. Regions that have been in the opposition for the longest time and have experienced stunted development are shifting from the obvious. Like Magarini Mp Harrison Kombe once said ‘ we have been in the opposition for the longest time possible but gained nothing, we would rather join the government and get ‘fake’ title deeds, at least it’s something towards solving emotive land issues at the coast’.
It’s a time tested belief that being in the government comes with goodies despite the government’s role being to serve all the people from both political divides. Budding politicians launching their careers from opposition dominated areas are daring to cut against the grains, one such candidate is Joseph Edmond K’odira who is aspiring to seek the Gwassi North Ward seat on Jubilee Party ticket despite the region being pro ODM. He believes that strong winds of change are blowing; JP has already received defectors from opposition strong holds like Luo Nyanza.

It’s a time tested belief that being in the government comes with goodies despite the government’s role being to serve all the people from both political divides. Budding politicians launching their careers from opposition dominated areas are daring to cut against the grains, one such candidate is Joseph Edmond K’odira who is aspiring to seek the Gwassi North Ward seat on Jubilee Party ticket despite the region being pro ODM. He believes that strong winds of change are blowing; JP has already received defectors from opposition strong holds like Luo Nyanza.

Karachuonyo Mp James Rege announced his defection from ODM to JP during the party launch in Kasarani.
All the candidates in the race to clinch Gwassi North seat which draws more attention than any other in Suba Constituency are from the teaching profession except the incumbent Evans Dada Marieba who was elected on an ODM ticket. Millicent Nyaboke is a primary school teacher, Kennas Ongola is accounts clerk at Tonga High School and Joseph Edmond K’odira is a lecturer at Kericho Institute. All the candidates are seeking the ODM ticket except K’odira who is from the Jubilee party. He says his opponents have chosen on a party that is deemed popular in the region because they represent no fresh ideas and policies but people are ready for change and he will trounce them.

Going by ‘Turn on the Light’ slogan, K’odira’s key policies are on unity, job creation for all, optimal exploitation of natural resources, youth and women empowerment, Education for all and poverty alleviation. He believes in working with the government to improve the road networks so that the region can fully exploit its potential. ‘Despite the region being rich in fish, Gwassi hills also receive enough rainfall annually and for that reason does well in agriculture, he notes. ‘Our people have been in the opposition for a long time and we have not experienced any development changes to write home, it’s time we worked with the government and see what that can bring’ Kodira added.

Going by ‘Turn on the Light’ slogan, K’odira’s key policies are on unity, job creation for all, optimal exploitation of natural resources, youth and women empowerment, Education for all and poverty alleviation. He believes in working with the government to improve the road networks so that the region can fully exploit its potential. ‘Despite the region being rich in fish, Gwassi hills also receive enough rainfall annually and for that reason does well in agriculture, he notes. ‘Our people have been in the opposition for a long time and we have not experienced any development changes to write home, it’s time we worked with the government and see what that can bring’ Kodira added.

The reality of the situation is with the people who have the power to make their desired choice through the vote but the most paining thing in most circumstances is that people vote the party not individuals. Kenyan political parties/ outfits are majorly tribal and regional but still there are handful cases where individuals have been chosen over the party. In Kisumu for instance, having the ODM ticket makes you the ‘designate’ of the office even before elections are held but Hon. Olago Aluoch managed to clinch the Kisumu Town West parliamentary seat on Ford Kenya ticket after controversially losing the ODM ticket in a in 2013. Will K’odira the determined manage to successfully cut against the grains?

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