Kisii deputy governor Joash Maangi is at war with his boss James Ongwae over his continued silence to endorse him for the 2022 political succession race with revelations that the governor has paraded a different team which will protect his legacy once he retires.
Having served two senators, Chris Obure and Sam Ongeri, two speakers Kerosi Ondieki and David Kombo and two women representatives Mary Otara and Janet Ong’era, Ongwae has known the strengths and weaknesses of local politicians and is scrutinising a political lineup which will sweep the polls across the board.
Maangi is the sole candidate from the Abamachoge clan following the chickening out of Albert Nyaundi.
Among those Ongwae has brought on board are Senator Ongeri as governor, Kitutu Chache South MP Richard
Kitutu Chache MP Richard Onyonka
Senator Sam Ongeri
Onyonka as deputy governor, former South Mugirango MP Omingo Magara as senator and current women representative Janet Ong’era for the same position.
Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati has pulled out from the race. This leaves Rachael Otundo, as the only independent candidate for the gubernatorial seat.
Onyonka has maintained that he is going for the gubernatorial seat and is said to have differed with William Ruto after he learnt that the Tanga Tanga team has earmarked Don Bosco Gichana for the Kitutu Chache seat which was against his wish hence the reason to reach a compromise with Ongwae.
Gichana has retained his former friends including Zaheer Jhanda while recruiting more.
Women rep Janet Ongera
women rep Mary Otara
Governor Ongwae’s new political move will see the Bogetutu clan retaining the Ongwae legacy as Onyonka will be micromanaging aging Ongeri who is now 84 years old with Maangi’s team aligned to Ruto.
To counter Ongeri, Maangi is contemplating picking Nyaribari Chache MP Richard Tong’i as his deputy on grounds that he has solid support from the Boguche clan where Ongeri also hails from and having served for two terms from three different political parties of Wiper, Ford People and Jubilee.
The deputy governor to counter Ong’era plans to pick former women representative Mary Otara came third on an independent party ticket to Ongera and Doris Aburi alias Donya of ODM and Jubilee respectively.
As much as Ongeri and Tong’i hail from the Nyaribari clan, numbers will beat them because they belong to the Boguche sub clan which is being targeted by three other subclans of Kamba Nane, Botondo and Bosigisa.
So far, Otundo, is the only one who has declared interest for the top seat from the three subclans which complain to have been underrepresented since devolution came into place and say there must be an MoU with the Boguche subclan if they are to walk the same journey.
