Kisii Governor Simba Arati now says the Omogusii
Community is scouting for its national leader and unifying figure.
Speaking in Kisii on Sunday, Arati said the community will soon demand respect and its fair share of the national cake.
He said since the exit of Mzee Simeon Nyachae as the community’s political leader, the vacuum occasioned has seen the Omogusii tribe mistreated.
Nyachae, a former minister and long-serving MP, was the Omogosii Community kingpin until he died in 2021.
“There comes a time when we miss the times of Mzee Nyachae and I think we are going back there and there is nobody who will play with us,’’ Arati said.
The governor’s remarks signal plans by the community’s leaders to forge political unity amid talk of a common political party ahead of the 2027 polls.
The remarks also come days after former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i held a meeting with MPs from Kisii and Nyamira Counties.
There are reports that Matiang’i could run for President in 2027.
On Sunday, Arati claimed that some big tribes have been muzzling the Omogusii because the community allegedly has no numerical influence.
He said Omogusii has nearly 2 million votes in Nyamira, Kisii and the diaspora, a huge number he said cannot be ignored in national politics.
In a bare-knuckle statement, Arati said some government officials are allegedly favouring some regions, ignoring Kisii and Nyamira Counties.
“There is a minister I heard saying that the money is for four Nyanza counties, isn’t Kisii and Nyamira not part of Nyanza? I feel agitated and I will ask him questions when we meet,’’ Arati said.
“We are in Nyanza and if we are talking about Nyanza we must be in one team.’’
It is not clear which Cabinet Secretary Arati was referring to in his terse statement.
Arati, who is an ODM deputy party leader, called for the
Gusii region to be respected, saying there is a tendency to favour other counties when speaking about the region.
“If we must be in government, then we must feel that we are being taken care of, let people not scare us that they have the numbers,’’ Arati said.
“We have the numbers and we are going to ask our people and going forward our vote must count,’’ he said.
“When a small opportunity
arises, we are seeing it going to one region and even here in Nyanza, an
opportunity comes and we are told it is for the four counties,’’ he said.
