Is Dr.. Khalwale's Bid To Unseat The Incumbent Oparanya A Pipe Dream?

The Kakamega gubernatorial seat so far is having five aspirants inclusive of the incumbent Hon Wycliffe Oparanya. The other four are senator Boni Khalwale Suleiman Sumba,Amukowa Anangwe and Mabel-UK based lady who decamped from ANC to Jubilee citing frustrations in the former.
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Despite the seat having attracted the four entrants, the contest is viewed as a two-horse one i.e between the incumbent Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya and Dr. Boni Khalwale.Khalwale who is the senator for Kakamega county and former MP for Ikolomani constituency is banking on his two clans - Isukha and Idakho while Oparanya the incumbent and who hails from Butere is banking on his clan - the Wanga. On Khalwale's side he is advantaged by the fact that, from his clan there's no one competing him unlike Oparanya who is facing competition from Sumba and Anangwe who are Awanga. Khalwale seems to be enjoying support from some constituencies like Lurambi as Oparanya banks on his incumbency.

Wycliffe Oparanya

Kakamega county is made up of the following constituencies: Malava, Khwisero, Mumias East, Mumias West, Matungu, Lurambi, Navakholo, Ikolomani, Shinyalu, Lugari, Butere and Likuyani. Oparanya who has the support of Navakholo and Malava MPs and some MCAs is using his development record to woo voters. He has initiated projects like Oparanya care which aims at helping the delivering mothers,he has the support of ECDE teachers and some primary teachers,he has lodged the construction of Kakamega level four hospital which will be kicking on very soon,he has improved roads under the county government and Dr. Khalwale is banking on his record as the county senator with the support of some MPs. Khalwale who is seen as a crowd-puller is being a fierce threat to Oparanya as he is very vocal.

Boni Khalwale

The two contestants are in the same coalition - NASA but in different affiliation parties i.e Ford-Kenya and ODM with Khalwale as the deputy party leader for Ford-Kenya and Oparanya for ODM respectively. Oparanya seem to be advantaged by  the fact that ODM has a strong base in the county as compared to Ford-Kenya which has a weak one. With six months remaining to general elections, the two are on the vote-hunt in the county but the decision on who to be the governor is in the hands of the electorate.