The race to Vihiga County top seat has already taken shape with all entrants to the race already known.
The former County boss and PPOK party leader Moses Akaranga poses the greatest threat to the incumbent Dr. Wilber Otichilo who has comfortable elbowed out all other aspirants who had shown interest in vying using ODM party ticket, he awaits to see if Azimio la UMOJA coalition is going to conduct a joint nomination or every affiliate party fields candidates to face off in August polls.
Akaranga major headache is how he is going to galvanize the Maragoli voting block to solidly stay firm behind him something that proved elusive in the previous polls where he had 3 other candidates from his community. This time round the matrix seems more complex with Sabatia MP Alfred Agoi seemingly likely to fly Kenya Kwanza flag and Federal Party leader Francis Ominde having established his main block in parts of the Maragoli community.
Akaranga the former County boss says he needs to recapture the seat to accomplish what he had started for the Vihiga people.
He blames Governor Wilber Otichilo for neglecting his projects to derail his name.
On his end Governor Otichilo keeps shifting the blame to the former Governor for investing in ghost projects that have landed the county into huge pending bills.
“Vihiga County what we generate in terms of revenue was badly dismantled by COVID-19 pandemic so we were left to rely only on the treasury as our last hope,” Otichilo said.
Akaranga’s entry into gubernatorial race to unseat Otichilo ahead of August 9 polls seems to attract only county political bigwigs only.
Other candidates interested in the seat are Senator George Khaniri who will vie on UDP party, former speaker Kenneth Marende on DAP-K and Alfred Agoi on Kenya Kwanza coalition.