Ruth Oniang'o: Articulate, focused and fearless

Articulate, focused and fearless is what sums up the Butere Constituency Party of National Unity (PNU) parliamentary aspirant professor Ruth Khasaya Oniang’o.

Oniang’o of Ford Kenya party, which is an affiliate of PNU, in spite of all odds she is putting up a spirited campaign in the quest for the male dominated seat.

Being the only female aspirant in the race for the august house from the constituency, this has not in any way compromised her spirit to soldier on.

Hardened by the number of male candidate eying the seat Oniang’o first hurdle was daring last month’s party nominations when she defeated her only opponent on PNU ticket Mr Khayudi Mohammed Omollo with a landslide of 2,000 votes against 240 votes secured by her opponent .

Khayudi later defected to Charity Ngilu’s Narc Kenya party.

Unlike the nomination exercise where she faced only one candidate whom she floored with ease one candidate this time round, Oniang’o is faced with a huge challenge of squaring it out with five male contestants seeking the seat on various political parties.

The other candidates include Mr Monda Eliud Andati (Green African Party), Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya (ODM), Wamaina Patrick Musungu (United Democratic Party of Kenya), Wanekeya Justus Anyanga (Kenya National Democratic Alliance).

Unlike her opponents who have stuck to the old ways of seeking for votes through well organized public rallies, Oniang’o abdicated from this trend and she is campaigning through meeting various categories of the constituents organized in groups affiliated to various development projects, she initiated through her NGO- Rural Outreach Programme (ROP), which has been existence for the last 17 years.

This strategy, according to political pundits, has put her in a unique position leaving her opponents with few gaps to attack her in their campaign convened in the area whose other former MP is  Katiba Watch member Mr Martin Shikuku who seemingly due to age factor has opted out of active parliamentary politics instead he is supporting ODM presidential aspirant Mr Raila Odinga’s presidential quest.

Oniang’o first entered parliament as a nominated KANU legislator in 2003.By then she was a lecturer at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology where she was attached to the Faculty of Nutrition.

Prior to her nomination to parliament, Oniang’o said, she never knew she would one day become a politician “I did not apply for the Job. But I accepted it as it came as I am a firm believer of challenges, “added Oniang’o while on a campaign train in the constituency.

At this time, Retired president Daniel Moi having been the KANU National chairman had direct control of the party and he should have played a leading role in the nomination of Prof. Oniang’o as an MP.

With her campaign strategy in this area that has 50,282 registered voters, according to the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) statistics it has, 24,413 female voters, while male are 25,869.

This year’s polls is said to be the most competitive as the  PNU party candidate Professor Oniang'o and ODM’s Mr. Oparanya are seen as the heavy weights.

While Oniang'o had the first lady Lucy Kibaki campaign for her three weeks ago, Mr Oparanya had not had the ODM pentagon members visit the area complicating matters for him even though the ODM enjoy majority following than other parties in the area, seen as fringe entities out to attract sympathy votes.

Buoyed by her positive record in parliament, Prof. Oniang'o, who was the former opposition KANU shadow Education Minister, is known for having brought a motion in parliament for nutritionist to be recognized and be allowed to engage in private practice just like other professionals. The motion was passed and became law after a lot of lobbying and among the Mp’s.

In her campaign Oniang'o has tried to meet professional groups such as teachers, medics, agriculturalists and organized seminars with experts in various farming, fields to teach them on latest trends in food production.

Addressing issues affecting the local people, oning'o expresses regrets that sectors such as health, rural road network, education, usage of CDF money, bursaries among others as having not been given the due attention required.

Oniang'o who has presidential commendation such as Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) & Silver, She believes defeat at the forth coming polls is not in her vocabulary saying she believes in faith.

On the resources used in campaign, she said, she has been forced to dig deep in her pocket to bank role her campaigns.

“PNU has not given me the money for campaign as promised. I am using the small resources at my disposal to campaign. The development I have done for the local people should be a yard stick to judge me in terms of development,” she told various groups she visited as she toured the development projects she had assisted put up through her NGO ROP.