Home » Kisumu gubernatorial aspirant Jack Ranguma drops out due to old age

Kisumu gubernatorial aspirant Jack Ranguma drops out due to old age

by Enock Ndayala

Former Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma has dropped out of the 2022 Kisumu gubernatorial race to reclaim his seat citing his advancing age.

Speaking at the weekend at his home, the 67-year-old Ranguma said he is not keen on the seat anymore adding that he will rally behind the East African Community and Regional Development CAS, Ken Obura.

Ken Obura was previously Member of Parliament for Kisumu central.

Ranguma said he was rigged out in ODM‘s 2017 primaries but now believes the former Kisumu central Member of Parliament has the energy and resources to battle it out for ODM ticket with Anyang Nyong’o.

Kisumu gubernatorial aspirant Jack Ranguma drops out due to old age
Former Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma has dropped out of the Kisumu gubernatorial race to reclaim his seat due to old age.

“My age doesn’t allow me to fight it again in ODM. I, therefore, leave it to my younger brother (Ken) Obura. He still has the energy to battle within ODM,” he said as quoted by Standard Newspaper.

Ranguma who made a failed bid to retain the seat as an independent candidate in the 2017 General Election further said the decision to pull out was reached after he engaged in talks with other leaders on the best candidate to challenge Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o.

 “We have been having discussions among the three of us, Senator Fred Outa, Ken Obura, and I, and this is the outcome of those deliberations,” Ranguma said.

The decision by Ranguma to drop out of the race is likely to shape Kisumu gubernatorial battle into a two-horse race between Obura and governor Anyan’g Nyong’o.

The dropping out of the race is seen as a boost for Obura who has won the support of key political leaders from the larger Nyando including Nyong’o’s first chief of staff Patrick Ouya.

Speaking to the same venue, Obura exuded confidence he will beat Governor Anyang Nyong’o to clinch the ODM party ticket in the primaries.

“I want to thank the former governor for this bold step. I am confident that I will emerge victorious,” he said.

Others who have shown interest to unseat Governor Nyong’o include Kisumu Senator Fred Outa, businessman Ochola Kamili and former County Assembly Speaker Onyango Oloo.

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