James Ongwae

Ex-Kisii governor James Ongwae leads Raila allies in a meeting with President-elect William Ruto.

Time for politics is over, we told him that we are ready to work with him and support his government.” This is a hardworking community that should have representation all over.” In the meeting too was the Abagusii council of elders’ chairman John Matundura who drummed up support for Raila Odinga. We are always ready to work with the Government of the day. The turn of events could likely deal a major blow to Odinga’s camp in the region. “They confessed that they were willing to support Ruto but they feared arbitrary arrests that could jeopardise their campaigns. She lost her seat in the August 9 polls to Doris Donya of Wiper. Kemosi who spoke to the Standard said some of the Kenya Kwanza leaders from the region lost their seats because of their support for the President-elect. The president-elect acknowledged the support from the Gusii community and promised to have a number of leaders from the region join his government.” Ongwae said the leaders who were in the meeting are those who have been leading the Abagusii community for some time and share a common agenda. A source who attended the meeting told the Standard that some leaders openly told the president-elect that they could not campaign for him in the last general election because of the harassment and intimidation that was directed at them by the State. The majority of the leaders who attended the meeting had, during the campaigns, complained of intimidation and harassment by a senior government official from Gusii region.

The Immediate former Kisii governor James Ongwae has officially ditched Azimio la Umoja movement for the Kenya Kwanza coalition led by President-Elect ...

Last month,Ongwae handed over Kisii leadership mantle to the newly elected Simba Arati and promised to put their differences aside for the sake of growth and development in the region. Others were former Woman Representative Janet Ongera (Kisii), Emily Nyagarama (Nyamira aspiring candidate), James Kenani the ODM candidate for Nyaribari Chache constituency in the just concluded elections and Kenya National Congress (KNC) Party Leader Manson Oyongo. Ongwae,an ex staunch supporter of former Prime minister Raila Odinga and Azimio Presidential candidate in the August General Elections affirmed his support for former DP ahead of his swearing in on Tuesday next week.

Former Kisii Governor James Omariba Ongwae has dumped Azimio for Kenya Kwanza. Ongwae on Friday led a delegation of leaders from Kisii and Nyamira to ...

Other leaders who have joined Ruto’s camp include the former governor of Makueni, Kivutha Kibwana, the senator from Mandera, Ali Roba, and the member of parliament from Ugenya, David Ochieng. However some Azimio leaders skeptical of Ongwae’s move to join Kenya Kwanza and accused the Ongwae-led team of being self-centered. Ongwae indicated ealier that the meeting would focus on areas of partnership between their faction and the Kenya Kwanza faction, and he expressed his willingness to collaborate with the new administration.