By Benson Amadala, Nairobi May 19 2007
Emuhaya is one of the constituencies which attracts numerous candidates and where voters have a habit of electing an MP for only one term. Mr Kenneth Marende will be facing a similar tricky challenge from a crowded field of aspirants.  He won the seat on Narc ticket as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, which was then a big coalition partner with President Kibaki’s National Alliance (Party) of Kenya in the National Rainbow Coalition (Narc).
But the MP is poised for a stiff challenge from opponents criticising his development record. The seat has attracted a number of seasoned politicians and newcomers.  Former MP Sheldon Muchilwa of Kanu will be trying to make a comeback after he lost in the last election.  Voters threw out Mr Muchilwa in favour for Mr Marende because of the Narc wave for change and a poor development record.
 
A number of university dons are being touted as possible candidates this year. They include Prof Aggrey Sindabi of Egerton University’s Laikipia Campus and Prof Aggrey Amwayi of Maseno University.  A well-known journalist, Mr Kwendo Opanga’s name has been on the lips of people in the constituency for some time, but his closest friends say he has declined to enter the race, though it is still too early to rule him out.
The university dons have been attending church functions and fundraising meetings but have yet to go public about their parties of choice.  Also in the race is Mr Tom Alwaka, the publisher of the Weekly Citizen newspaper. 
Mr Alwaka, a graduate of the University of Nairobi, has been sponsoring football competitions and bicycle races involving youth to popularise himself. He is campaigning on Mr Cyrus Jirongo’s Kaddu party.  Kakamega businessman Sammy Onani, who ran on Ford-Asili ticket in the last elections, will be on the blocks to start the race, hoping to improve on his last performance.
Other possible candidates include businessmen Wilby Khasakhala and Wilberforce Angatia and a Nairobi surveyor, Mr Billy Nyonje.  Mr Angatia says that if elected, he will use the CDF to improve schools, hospitals and dispensaries, water supply and roads to ease transportation of farm products. He has not named his party. Mr Nyonje is also seeking the Kaddu ticket.
Mrs Helen Alitsi, a trader at Luanda township, is also in the race but says she is still shopping for a party. Former MP Sande Mukuna, who lost the seat in 1992, is making a comeback bid. He had earlier indicated he would be seeking the Kaddu ticket to vie for the seat but kept a low profile, preferring to conduct his campaigns by meeting voters at markets and in their homes.
The high poverty level and rampant insecurity remain issues close to the hearts of voters.  The populous constituency in the south of Vihiga District has poor roads. It is one of the few constituencies in Western Province which has never been split and voters are hoping that this time around, they may just have two, East and West Bunyore. If this is done, pressure on Mr Marende could be eased as some of the opponents will be locked out from his area.
Most of the aspirants against Mr Marende are from East Bunyore. He would be left fighting a less difficult battle in the West, where he enjoys much support.  The election campaigns in the constituency will be dominated by the key issues of poverty, insecurity and unemployment.  Some effort has been made to build health centres to serve rural areas through CDF but the facilities lack drugs and the personnel to run them.
Mr Marende could be on the spot to explain why much of West Bunyore appears to have benefited more from the CDF compared to the rest of the constituency where he is perceived to enjoy little political support.  The Bamutete clan from East Bunyore has contributed the biggest number of MPs in the past. 
Mr Marende broke the trend in 2002 when he defeated the then incumbent Mr Sheldon Muchilwa of Kanu.  But paradoxically Mr Marende’s nightmare is from East Bunyore-with the highest number of aspirants who are out to oust him.  The silver lining on what appears a dark political cloud for the MP could be the fact that his opponents are from the two large clans-Abatongoi and Abamutete.
The MP, who is from a minority clan, Abasikhale, could deftly exploit the jostling among the aspirants from the dominant clans to his advantage.  So far, Mr Marende is yet to be challenged on ODM-K ticket. The rest of the aspirants are showing interest on Narc-Kenya, Ford-Kenya and Mr Jirongo’s Kaddu. The creation of Emuhaya district came as a boon to the incumbent, boosting his relocation chances.
The Banyore people have for along time campaigned to have a district of their own, away from the Maragoli with whom they have been in Vihiga district.  Mr Marende could be rewarded for standing with community to press for the creation of the district. 
The constituency enjoys a strong ODM-K presence, which could boost chances for the incumbent to make an easy comeback if the euphoric support for the party is anything to go by.  The other parties, including Narc-K, Ford-K are beginning to make their presence felt through grassroots campaigns by aspirants visiting churches and organising fund raising meetings for schools and other facilities.
Unemployment is an issue that is likely to contribute to the sitting MP’s possible poor score.  Opponents of the MP have been questioning the manner in which CDF money has been distributed to projects.  Insecurity in Emuhaya has raised hue and cry and failure to have the problem adequately addressed could become a serious campaign issue.