Bumpy road ahead for Junet Mohamed in quest to retain Suna seat

Suna East MP Junet Mohammed with ODM leader Raila Odinga at a past function. Mr Junet is a fierce critic of President Kenyatta and Jubilee. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Mohammed is banking on his ODM candidacy to retain the seat.
  • The lawmaker also hopes to capitalise on his closeness to Mr Odinga. 
  • Last year, the MP was among a group of six politicians detained at a city police station for hate speech. 

Despite winning the Orange Democratic Movement ticket for the Suna East parliamentary seat in the nominations, incumbent MP Junet Mohamed still has a mountain to climb.  

The ODM director of elections and one of party leader Raila Odinga’s fiercest defenders garnered 14,912 votes against former Migori MP John Pesa’s 8,671.

Mr Pesa, who has decamped from ODM to vie as an independent, is still considered a strong candidate, and could give the MP a run for his money on August 8.

The former MP is brimming with confidence.

“I am out of ODM but not out of the race. As an independent candidate, I am sure of [defeating] Mr Mohamed. Let him prepare to go home,” Mr Pesa said recently.

Mr Mohamed is banking on his ODM candidacy to retain the seat.

In a predominantly ODM zone where Mr Odinga enjoys a near-fanatical following, having the party’s certificate almost guarantees one victory.

STRONG ODM DEFENDER

The lawmaker also hopes to capitalise on his closeness to Mr Odinga. 

He rose to the limelight after the 2013 elections as one of Mr Odinga’s ardent defenders and a bitter critic of President Uhuru Kenyatta and Jubilee.

Last year, the MP was among a group of six politicians detained at a city police station for alleged hate speech. 

Mr Odinga has warmed up to him and often gives him his ear. It is also believed Mr Mohamed is among the individuals bankrolling ODM.

“Junet is a very strong ODM defender. In Parliament, he argues and articulates issues maturely. While Jubilee has Aden Duale, I have Junet as a trusted soldier,” Mr Odinga said in Migori last year during the lawmaker’s homecoming ceremony.

Unfortunately, there is widespread perception in Suna East that Mr Mohamed has concentrated on defending his party leader at the expense of serving the residents.

And his opponents have capitalised on this.

POLITICKING

“Junet has nothing to show for his term as MP. He spends his time politicking at the national level yet Suna East people are yearning for development,” said Mr Pesa.

The former MP believes the constituency’s politics should largely be shaped by an approachable leader “and not one whom we only see on TV”.

“As an MP, I helped build classes for schools and initiated other projects through the Constituency Development Fund. Suna people will vote for me on that basis,” Mr Pesa added.

He said if elected, his main aim is to eradicate poverty, raise education standards and improve agriculture and roads.

Yet another equally strong candidate eyeing Mr Mohamed’s seat is businessman Patrick Odipo from Wasweta East.

Popularly known as Jasweta, he decamped from ODM to Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress just before the Orange primaries. Mr Odipo accused ODM of favouritism.

ALTERNATIVE VOICE

“I avoided the road of the shambolic ODM nominations to give the people of Suna East an alternative voice on August 8,” he said.

Mr Odipo went on to defeat Tom Hillary in the ANC primaries.

Though a newcomer in area politics, Mr Odipo has the following of young people and is running a well-oiled campaign hinged on wealth creation, improvement of infrastructure, poverty eradication and the youth agenda.

He shares the view that Mr Mohamed has failed to address the problems facing Suna East residents.

“He has not done anything to improve the welfare of the people. Junet only knows how to defend Raila,” said Mr Odipo.

He is sure that the August elections will be fair, given that ANC is part of the opposition National Super Alliance.

COSMOPOLITAN CONSTITUENCY

Being a cosmopolitan constituency, tribal and clan factors in Suna East will definitely come into play during campaigns and elections.

Besides the predominant Luo, the constituency is also home to the Maragoli, Suba, Kisii and Somali.

Mr Mohamed — a Somali — capitalised largely on his deep pockets and the wide networks he developed as Migori Town mayor to capture the seat in 2013.

However, some indigenous Suna insist that one of their own must be MP.

Mr Odipo could be the greatest beneficiary should the Suna make good on their threat. He is also said to have connections with the Kisii and the Maragoli.

The Waswa, Warisia, Wasio and Suba clans are believed to be behind Mr Pesa, who hails from Nyarongo. The former MP is popular because he has invested a lot in private primary and secondary schools.

GRASSROOTS MOBILISATION

Analysts say Mr Pesa’s track record in education during his term as Migori MP and his grassroots mobilisation skills could boost his chances of unseating the incumbent.

Suna East wields an enormous business and agriculture potential.

Part of Migori town — the region’s economic hub, due to its proximity to Tanzania — is in Suna East.

The area enjoys a favourable climate for the growing of sugarcane, tobacco, maize, sweet potatoes, beans, vegetables and other crops.

Yet even with such potential, a majority of Suna East residents still live in squalor.

Ironically, tobacco and sugarcane farmers are the worst-hit.

Many locals interviewed by the Nation said they were not satisfied with Mr Mohamed’s performance as MP.

SUPPORT FARMING

They said he had not done much to support farming, the area’s main economic activity.

“The problem with Junet is that he forgot us as soon as we took him to Parliament. He thinks defending Raila is the only thing we elected him to do.

"This area has bad roads, there is no piped water and tobacco and cane farmers have nothing to smile about,” said Odhiambo Oluoch, a resident.

Suna East opinion shapers say voters are no longer interested in electing somebody on the strength of sycophancy to Raila.

“As much as people love Raila, they also need development and a smart politician should strike a balance between the two. That is where Junet has failed,” said Odongo Owino, a political activist.

PERCEIVED ARROGANCE

Yet others are not pleased with the MP’s perceived arrogance and confrontational politics.

“Junet openly dismisses other politicians just because he is close to Raila. It may be his undoing,” added Mr Odongo. 

He said the violence that marked Mombasa Governor Ali Joho’s visit to Migori several weeks ago cast Mr Mohamed in bad light among many.

It is clear the stage is set for a bruising battle for the Suna East parliamentary seat.

It, however, remains to be seen how Raila’s blue-eyed boy will navigate the stormy waters to retain his seat.