The battle for the Kakamega Senate seat has narrowed down to a contest between two medical doctors, former senator Boni Khalwale of the United Democratic Alliance and Orange Democratic Movement’s Brian Makamu Lishenga.
Before joining politics, Dr Lishenga was a lecturer at Egerton University, in the Department of Medical Physiology, for 13 years. He was Associate Dean, Faculty of Medicine, for six years (2013 -2019) and Dean from 2019 to 2021.
Dr Lishenga is also the national chairman of the Rural Private Hospitals Association of Kenya.
A lot in common
Other candidates in the race are Mr Sammy Washiko (Jubilee), Mr Patrick Butichi (Democratic Action Party-Kenya), Ms Sellah Keya Kadasi (Kanu), Ms Winfred Asiko Abuti (United Democratic Party) and Mr Chrispus Kaira Rebuahi (Independent).
Dr Khalwale and his main rival, Dr Lishenga, share a lot in common besides both being medical doctors. They both attended the University of Nairobi and served as student leaders at the institution.
While Dr Khalwale is from the Abamusali clan of the Idakho sub-tribe of the Luhya community, Dr Lishenga is from the neighbouring Isukha and has relatives in Idakho Central ward.
The two are also alumni of Musingu Boys High School in Kakamega County.
Dr Lishenga’s father, Maurice Lishenga, was a land surveyor in Kakamega and unsuccessfully contested the Lurambi parliamentary seat twice.
“Khalwale is my uncle by maternal lineage. My mother and Dr Khalwale are cousins but we have a long history of family political rivalry and the August 9 polls will be no different,” Dr Lishenga said.
The rivalry stretches back to 2007, when Dr Khalwale defeated Mr Aggrey Shitsama, a former ambassador, in the contest for the Ikolomani parliamentary seat.
Mr Shitsama, a lawyer, is Dr Lishenga’s uncle. In 2002, Mr Shitsama was the ODM candidate in Ikolomani while Dr Khalwale contested the seat on Ford-Kenya ticket, under the Narc umbrella, and won.
Dr Khalwale is popularly known as the ‘Bullfighter’ because of his love for the sport, which has a strong cultural appeal among the Idakho and Isukha sub-tribes from Ikolomani and the neighbouring Shinyalu constituency.
Dr Lishenga was motivated by Dr Khalwale to vie for the seat after the former senator declared he would be going for the gubernatorial position.
“Dr Khalwale was one of the first people to encourage me to run for the Kakamega Senate seat. This was before he agreed to step down from the race and support Senator Cleophas Malala of ANC,” he said.
But the move by ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi and Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula to abandon ODM leader Raila Odinga and back Deputy President William Ruto’s presidential bid on January 23 changed things.
Before he withdrew from the governor race, Dr Khalwale had campaigned aggressively in the 12 sub-counties and his campaigns had received a major boost from the frequent forays by DP Ruto to the region.
Dr Khalwale had emerged as a formidable candidate for the governor seat but the political realignments in the Kenya Kwanza Alliance jolted his bid for the top county seat.
The former senator had lost to Governor Wycliffe Oparanya in the 2017 polls.
Dr Lishenga has promised to give Dr Khalwale a run for his money.
“Khalwale told me he had outgrown the Senate seat and assured me that he was too senior to be pushed aside from the governor race. But I guess Dr Ruto and Mr Mudavadi prevailed on him to step down for Mr Malala and that’s how we came to face each in the senatorial contest,” Dr Lishenga said.
Academic credentials
Dr Lishenga said ODM settled on him because of his impressive academic credentials. “The party wanted a candidate who could give Dr Khalwale a run for his money in Kakamega Central comprising Shinyalu, Ikolomani and Lurambi, which are considered the strongholds of my competitor,” he said.
Dr Khalwale has been campaigning alongside Senator Malala to try and counter the ODM dominance in the region.
He has promised to ensure that resources allocated to the county are put to proper use by Senator Malala if they win in the August 9 polls.
But their campaigns have been rocked by sibling rivalry and disagreements between UDA and ANC candidates in the region.
On June 14, Dr Khalwale asked voters at a Kenya Kwanza rally in Matungu constituency to support a candidate who will serve them with commitment and described Mr Malala and ODM’s Fernandes Barasa as their sons.
“I’m the best performing legislator in the history of Kenya and it’s up to you [voters] to elect a governor who will serve you diligently and improve your livelihoods,” Dr Khalwale said.
Dr Khalwale’s remarks upset Senator Malala and his supporters, who accused the former senator of campaigning for Mr Barasa. A ruckus erupted at the rally and Malala supporters, chanting slogans in support of Dr Lishenga, ejected Dr Khalwale.
Mr Malala and Dr Khalwale declared, at a rally attended by Dr Ruto and Mr Mudavadi, that they had resolved their differences and were focused on working together to deliver the governor and senate seats to Kenya Kwanza.
Dr Lishenga said, if elected, he will focus on making universal healthcare a reality for residents.
“I’ve released a manifesto titled ‘The Hope Agenda for Kakamega County’. The word ‘Hope’ is an acronym for Healthcare, Oversight, People and Education. For healthcare, my focus will be negotiating for more funds to be allocated to Kakamega County to achieve the Azimio coalition’s Babacare plan.
“As senator for Kakamega, I’ll publish and publicise a quarterly oversight report on the performance of the county government, focusing on equitable distribution of resources, development and job opportunities,” Dr Lishenga said.
He also plans to focus on providing support to the ailing sugar sector and ensure farmers benefit from farm subsidies.
Dr Lishenga says he will also come up with legislation that will support better employment terms for ECDE teachers and restructuring of the youth polytechnics.
“What I would do differently is that I will strengthen the senator’s office into a hub of ideas for the county and not to make the office the official opposition. I would like to see the senator’s office act as a shadow county government, giving support and alternative ideas to improve service delivery,” Dr Lishenga said.
Senator Malala, he said, scored highly on youth engagement, but performed dismally in his efforts to set up an alternative agenda for development.
Ms Winfred Asiko Abuti (UDP) from Khwisero is aged 29. She studied at Kenyatta University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Resource Management and Public Health.
Ms Abuti is a youth activist, and entrepreneur, running the Annalisa Commercial Kitchen Professional Company in Nairobi and a co-director at the Ecofore Company, a construction firm.
Lengthy consultations
Mr Patrick Masaviro Butichi of DAP-K said yesterday that he has withdrawn from the race to back Dr Lishenga to boost Azimio’s chances of clinching the seat.
Mr Butichi, a planner in private practice, said: “I made the decision after lengthy consultations with Dr Lishenga and I’m now fully campaigning for him.”
Mr Rebuahi is an independent candidate and a lawyer by profession while Ms Kadasi (Kanu) is a former nominated MCA at the Kakamega County Assembly.
Mr Sammy Washiko Aina is a former AFC Leopards player and chairman. He runs a communication technology firm in Nairobi. BY DAILY NATION