Former Kisumu County Governor Jack Ranguma has been cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to run for the gubernatorial seat.
Ranguma who lost to Prof. Anyang Nyong’o in 2017 is seeking to recapture the seat on a Movement for Democracy and Growth (MDG) ticket.
Speaking at Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu after being cleared, Ranguma vowed to give his opponents a run for their money as campaigns for the top seat take shape.
He said his main agenda will be to complete projects he started during his first term in office, accusing the incumbent of abandoning them despite having consumed billions of public funds.
“These projects were identified by the community but unfortunately they have been run down while others have been abandoned,” he said.
His administration, he added, will fast rack clearance of pending bills to ensure that money allocated to the county government is channeled towards development.
He accused Prof. Anyang Nyong’o’s administration of runaway corruption which has seen the county’s economy drop leading to the suffering of small scale traders in the area.
Some of the projects the Nyong’o administration takes pride in, he said, were initiated during his tenure.
He pointed out the upgrading of Kisumu city aesthetics through the World Bank (WB) funded Kenya Urban Project (KUP) which was signed in 1016 when he was governor.
If elected in August, Ranguma vowed to wipe out corruption in the county government systems and at the same time restore assets and facilities grabbed from the devolved unit.
Some of the projects including relocation of Kachok dumpsite and upgrading of Kibuye Market, he said, were a sham since the land had been allocated to individuals.
“We have information that private individuals are holding title deeds for the Kachok dumpsite land and Kibuye market land. When we get to the office our priority shall be to repossess these county government assets,” he said.
So far three candidates, the incumbent Prof. Anyang Nyong’o, former Governor Jack Ranguma and business lady Awuor Meso have been cleared.
Ranguma has received backing from Kisumu Senator Fred Outa, former County Assembly Speaker Onyango Oloo and former East Africa Community (EAC) Cabinet Administrative Secretary (CAS) Ken Obura who withdrew from the race.
The four have vowed to rally their supporters and ensure that Nyong’o is voted out.
