By Hon Jim Bonnie
The other day, Migori County Senator, Wilfred Machage, was quoted in the local dailies threatening to lead Kuria community out of ODM. This is what he didn’t tell you:
That Kuria community is a minority group in Migori County. However, through negotiated democracy that was initiated by Hon. Raila Odinga, the community secured the following positions:
1. Senate seat held by Mr. Machage
2. Deputy Governor held by a Mr. Nelson Mahaga Mwita
3. Women Representative held by Dennitah Ghati
There are senior positions awarded to them too in the county government. Now, the negotiated democracy was necessary for they’d have gotten nothing under normal political competition.
In turn, the Kuria community was to support Raila’s candidature for presidency by overwhelmingly voting him and voting ODM parliamentary candidates in Kuria region. They never honoured their side of the bargain but Luos did in good faith.
After landing the senatorial seat in a silver platter, Mr. Machage abandoned ODM and those who elected him. He’s never been seen in the county neither has he been executing his oversight roles.
Even with the runaway corruption and malfeasance in Migori County, Mr. Machage has kept a blind eye. Now that elections are near and the good Senator is salivating for another term, he’s resorted to issuing threats by drawing the ethnic card now common with opportunistic politicians.
Mr. Machage thinks he can bully Raila with threats to secure Luo votes again which he direly need to retain his seat. If Mr. Machage wants to lead Kuria community out of ODM, so be it. What must be made clear is that the Luo community in Migori County learnt their lesson.
Perhaps he’s considering joining crooks in jubilee. If this will make a Kuria a Deputy Governor, a woman rep and a senator, let him do that.
