I did not step down for Obado’s wife, says Migori Woman Rep candidate
Migori Woman Representative aspirant Lilian Akugo.
Migori Jubilee Party Woman Representative candidate Lillian Akugo has denied claims that she opted out of the race in favour of Governor Okoth Obado’s wife Hellen Obado.
She told Nation.Africa that she is still firmly in the race to succeed Dr Pamela Odhiambo who will not defend her seat.
She dismissed a social media post by her husband Dominic Akugo, an administration director at Migori Governor’s office and a close ally of Governor Obado, terming it as “false”.
“Forget about the social media posts. Any post by my husband does not reflect my position. I am focused on the race and I have a vision, which I cannot shelve.
“There is no way I can step down for Mrs Obado who is barely three days old in the race yet I have campaigned all this while,” Mrs Akugo told Nation.Africa.
Mrs Akugo was reacting to her husband’s post, which he noted: “It is everyone’s constitutional right to go for any political seat he or she deems fit but Lillian and Hellen will never be on the same ballot.”
Support
She reiterated that she had not expressed any support for any candidate and said Mrs Obado should prepare to meet her at the ballot.
“Whatever, was posted by my husband was his personal opinion and should not be misconstrued to make it appear that I have backed off,” she said.
The sentiments come a few days after Mrs Obado declared her bid for the county woman representative seat.
Keen to avoid her husband’s baggage who is accused of killing his former girlfriend Sharon Otieno and facing a litany of corruption, the county’s first lady has opted for an independent ticket and not the People’s Democratic Party party led by Mr Obado.
Friday's announcement ended speculation over the fate of the county’s first family, which has been marked by a series of controversies and court cases.
“It is true I am firmly in the race to be the third woman representative. As we are all aware, this is a public seat which anyone is free to vie.
“It is the public and voters who will decide through the ballot and I will seek their mandate,” Mrs Obado added.
She stated that she is yet to pick her symbol and has started the process of being cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission for the August 9 contest.
Her decision to shun the PDP also brought to an end the political debate on the direction the governor’s family will take once he steps down after serving his two terms.
The governor and his wife have held joint campaigns since 2007, when Mr Obado unsuccessfully vied for the Uriri parliamentary seat.
Sugarcane farmers
She also campaigned for Mr Obado in the defunct Kenya Sugar Board elections by mobilising sugarcane farmers, a seat he won with a landslide.
She was key in voter and grassroots mobilisation for her husband’s bids for governor and often led separate and parallel campaigns targeting women.
As the Migori first lady, she started Kuku ni Pesa, a project that gave chicken incubators to several women’s groups and distributed sanitary towels, toiletries and solar lamps to women on the campaign trail.
Her entry into the woman representative’s race also ended the debate on whether Mr Obado was plotting to join the race for the Senate or Uriri MP’s seat.
Her entry to the woman representative’s seat has dealt a big blow to Mrs Akugo who is equally eyeing the seat on a Jubilee ticket.
They both hail from the Kanyamkago clan in Uriri and their political antagonism may split the local vote.
Others eyeing the seat include nominated MP Dennitah Ghatti who won the ODM ticket in the primaries, former radio journalist Josephine Sirega and businesswoman Fatuma Mohammed, who will both be vying as independent candidates.
