mzalendo :: Eye On Kenyan Parliament

By Mzalendo Reporter

(*This profile was written before the party nominations were held).

Rarieda Constituency is one of the rural constituencies in Luo – Nyanza. It has over 48,000 registered voters and was created after being hived out of the old and larger Bondo constituency in the middle of the 1980s. Most of Rarieda constituents live below the poverty line. This is due to minimal economic activities within the constituency.

Today, residents of this constituency are presently holding their breaths as they anticipate the kind of politics the area will witness. However, many still agree that the man to beat is the immediate former Member of Parliament and NARC – Kenya Chairman Raphael Tuju. Despite being in opposing camps with the Luo kingpin and ODM presidential candidate Raila Amollo Odinga, Tuju is still expected to put up a show come the December 27 general election. It has however been hard for Tuju-the foreign affairs minister- to sell his Narc-Kenya party, which is an affiliate of President Kibaki’s Party of National Unity. It has also been hard for him to sell President Kibaki’s PNU in the region simply because of the Orange Democratic Party wave and its presidential candidate Raila. However, Tuju’s chances have been boosted by the many development projects he has initiated for the last five years.
Tuju has made it clear that his priorities are on development, not endless politicking. Even his critics concede that during his tenure, there has been a rapid transformation in Rarieda constituency.

Indeed, during his tenure, Tuju has turned Rarieda into a model constituency not only in Nyanza but in Kenya. Some people have, however, attributed this development to the Minister’s closeness to the corridor of power unlike his other Luo MPs who bolted out of the NARC government after the November 2005 constitutional referendum in which the government lost. Raila Odinga led a team of politicians that campaigned against the draft constitution.

The main areas where Tuju has concentrated on are water, electricity, schools, women groups and Aids orphans. The projects initiated by Tuju include power supply from Ndori to Luanda Kotieno through Asembo Bay and the tarmacking of Ndori – Owimbi – Luanda Otieno road. Before the dissolution of Parliament, Tuju was working on housing projects for the widows in is constituency. Tuju has also been effective in lobbying private sponsors from overseas to support Rarieda projects. The mobile health clinic unveiled by President Kibaki was donated by an Italian. The immediate former MP has roped in other groups like Plan International, which assisted in the supply to medicines to rural clinics. On his insistence, the CDF money allocated to Rarieda has been concentrated on women groups, who he is keen to empower as a way of tackling grassroots poverty. Ruma Aids orphanage is one of his pet projects. Though the children stay with relatives, they come to the orphanage for food where they also get assisted with fees, uniforms and vocational training. A Dutch organisation helps with the funding. The orphanage has about 306 children.

Though Rarieda is one of those constituencies closest to Lake Victoria, which is the second largest fresh water lake in the world, there has been constant drought in Asembo and Uyoma, the main regions that make up the constituency. However, under Tuju’s watch, several water projects have been initiated. The first piped water was released to the residents recently at Ong’ielo Dispensary and Nyilima center. It covers a 12 kilometer radius as the project expands to cover the entire constituency. Engineers have been laying water pipes from Lake Victoria to a purifying and pumping station uphill from where it will flow downhill using gravitational pull to ease the water shortage in various parts of the constituency. He has also overseen the construction of hygienic fish landing beaches and refrigerated storage for fish, and is behind the recent introduction of ferry services between Uyoma, Karachuonyo, Asembo-Bay and Mbita in Suba District. The Ferry services has eased the hitherto hazardous canoes transportation system for the fishermen and fish traders. During his campaigns, Tuju has promised to tarmac Madiany-Gagra- Ndigwa road.

Presently Tuju’s critics agrees that he has tried to develop the area unlike before but are quick to point out that much more needs to be undertaken. Many say that apart from a political mistake that he made by “betraying” his Liberal Democratic Party colleagues-by working with President Kibaki’s government-he has done more than necessary and if not for the wealthy and development conscious aspirant he could as well be elected unopposed.
Opponents argue that though CDF fund has been well utilized, the constituency needs income generating projects for small scale entrepreneurs. Tuju has also been criticized of failing to spearhead the establishment of sisal, cotton, mango as well fish processing factories.

Rarieda is, however, said to be a one term affair for any sitting MP as since its establishment it is said that none has gone twice to Parliament. The area’s first MP was former Envoy Bob Jalang’o between 1988 – 1992, and the late Achieng Oneko 1992 – 1997 upon which Odeny Ngure took it in 1997 – 2002 paving way to the current MP Raphael Tuju.
Already, a host of aspirants have lined up ready to unseat Tuju. They include Nairobi based Engineer Nicholas Gumbo, Hotelier Moses Owiti “MaloMalo”, Nairobi based Petroleum Consultant George Obala and the latest aspirant Ugandan based businessmen Paul Odhiambo.
The set up shows that the constituency’s politics will be determined by the area’s two major clans Asembo and Uyoma . The battle will be stiff. Tuju has already lost favour with Raila, the man said to have helped him get the LDP nomination certificate after he was allegedly defeated by one Samson Owiti Malo Malo in 2002.