Wakili Stephen Odinga (in blue jeans) |Photo file|
The candidacy of Lawyer Stephen Odinga for the Bondo constituency is reshaping the political landscape in Raila Odinga’s traditional stronghold.
Odinga has announced his bid to challenge the incumbent MP, Gideon Ochanda, who is serving a third term. This development has unsettled rival factions, with some of Ochanda’s supporters switching allegiances to Odinga.
Ochanda, who has had contentious relationships with his party, ODM, in the past two elections, has managed to remain politically viable in Siaya, despite internal party conflicts.
In 2022, for instance, Ochanda was set back Engineer Nicolas Gumbo for the Siaya county governorship after it was apparent that he was not going to be awarded ODM nomination certificate.
This move was potentially going to undermine ODM’s candidate, James Orengo, forcing ODM to grant Ochanda the nomination under significant pressure from other members of the party to have the certificate awarded to businessman Andiwo Mwai instead.
Now, it appears Ochanda’s political future with ODM is uncertain, paving the way for new contenders.
An ODM insider, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggested that Stephen Odinga might receive the party’s nomination but will face competition from other candidates, including Andiwo Mwai.
The youthful legal expert has garnered substantial support from the Sakwa clan, which holds four of the six wards in Bondo constituency and represents about 70% of the electorate.
Political commentator William Ogolla believes that while Andiwo Mwai, a long-time friend of Raila Odinga, has notable advantages, clan politics and his lack of academic credentials may hamper his bid.
Ogolla argues that Stephen Odinga, with his strong academic background and vision for Bondo’s development, is well-positioned to succeed.
“Andiwo has struggled to secure support from the Sakwa clan, which controls a significant portion of the vote in Bondo. Additionally, a legislative role requires a certain level of expertise, which Mwai may lack,” Ogolla explained.
This is Odinga’s first attempt to enter the Bondo parliamentary race. He envisions leveraging the region’s natural resources, such as Lake Victoria and Lake Sare, to enhance the economic prospects of Bondo.
Bondo, one of Siaya county’s six constituencies, first elected Jaramogi Oginga as its MP in 1963.
Oginga was succeeded by William Omamo, who served until 1974 when Hezekiah Ougo won the seat.
Ougo, a former principal, resigned from his educational role to enter politics in 1973, following Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s exclusion from the 1974 elections.
Despite winning the seat, Ougo stepped down a year into his second term to allow Oginga to return to Parliament. However, Oginga’s bid was thwarted, enabling Omamo to reclaim the seat.
The constituency has seen six MPs, with Oburu Odinga holding the record for the longest service.
He was first elected in 1995 after a by-election following his father’s death and served until 2013, when he was succeeded by Gideon Ochanda, who is now in his third term and is set to run for the fourth term.