By Joel Eshikumo
Fernandes Barasa who came on the political scene, marketed as monied and a shrewd manager determined to change the destiny of Kakamega for good, appears to be struggling today.
Despite bagging the coveted Azimio ticket thru direct picking, Barasa is playing catch up to other candidates in the race to replace Outgoing Governor Oparanya.
Insiders have pointed at several things that would be pulling the Azimio candidate back as his competitors including DAP-k 's Ayub Savula and Kenya Kwanza's duo of Honorable Cleophas Malala and Bonny Khalwale who are running riot across the county.
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| DYNAMIC DUO: The union Between Honorables Malala and Khalwale is proving real danger to Barasa towards August. |
In what appears to be a well coordinated plot to fail his candidature, self righteous-appointed handlers are very strategic on how the candidate handles his matters.
Observers have said Fernandes Barasa is spending most of his time in board room meetings with people most of 5hem sent by opponents to eavesdrop on him.
If not in hotel rooms, Fernandes Barasa is locked up in mundane gatherings by clan chieftains brandishing the clan tag in lower Kakamega from where Barasa hails.
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| Honorable Malala on a charm offensive. He has been rated top in terms of social media interaction, picking calls and bonding with voters. |
Local leaders who have once led delegations to meet Barasa have ended up disappointed as he has never picked their calls for follow up on such meetings.
A clergy Patrick Shikuku who was the team leader of a prelates meeting two weeks ago sums it all. "We met Barasa with a team of 150 church leaders, we had very good discussions on paper after the meeting Barasa has never picked calls or returned messages to see the follow up of our plans for the grass roots" he says.
Opinion polls are showing Senator Cleophas Malala who is in the race to be Kakamega Governor as rated number one in picking calls, social media interaction and uncontrolled accessibility.
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| The entrance of Deputy Governor Philip Kutima to support Honourable Malala has tremendously changed the way forward for the populous Kabras votes. |
Unlike Barasa who has a team of 20 mean-looking men as security pushing and shoving people, Honourable Malala is easily reached publicly and in his home.
Ayub Savula who Joined Tweeter one month ago appears to be overshadowing Barasa in accessibility, he is ranking number two in areas social media interaction.
Barasa the former Ketracco CEO'S retting continue nose diving by the day and word has it that he relaxed with the false thought that the Azimio ticket is the magic bullet but reality could check in late for him and his people.
His social media communicators are wasting more time discussing and abusing his opponents in a jumbled up plot to shuttle the strong union tag team of Malala and Khalwale.
The plot is to drive a wedge between the two and show non existent rifts so that it will give Barasa breathing space in his bid for the governorship. The two appear to be his current headache.
Elected leaders in Matungu, Butere, Mumias West and East are developing cold feet in keeping his company, most describe him as 'mzigo' meaning he is a burden to them.
Most are resolving to go it alone as seen in recent functions where Fernandes Barasa is left alone to articulate issues without clarity to the people as elected leaders keep off.
There is mutated whispers within the team that over reliance on arm chair professionals who paint victory when clearly there is nothing like that in vicinity.
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| Honourable Barasa at the launch of his bid in Bukhungu stadium. He appeares to have taken a back seat and working on assumption that azimio ticket is the magic bullet. Survey shows he does not pick calls, doesnt interact on watsap and doesnt reply texts. |
TEAMS like the famed secretariat that is funded fully by Barasa are blamed for playing a big role in the laxity being witnessed by the Azimio candidate. Barasa himself is said to be surrounded by a coterie of moles mostly youths who live on assumption and feed the candidate without a care.
A little bird whispers to Eshikumo2030 that a meeting between Barasa and his Azimio Ticket -mates including MP's almost ended in disray when the leaders asked him to table his budget.
In the meeting was Matungu's Peter Nabulindo, Butere's Tindi Mwale, Bishop Khamala, Aseka Christopher two others unnamed individuals and outgoing Mayoni MCA Libinus Oduor.
Our source said Fernandes completely rejected the MP's demand to table his budget and fell short of calling them names, the source Saud when the convene said he could not afford Ksh 3m daily for campaigns, the MCA walked out of the meeting in protest.
Public opinion out here says Barasa has to go an extra mile if he has to March any of his opponents. It is said he must peel off profiteers and cartels from his home and his company, cut off hotel meetings and conduct meet the people tours, allow visitors unfettered in his home without having them to register at the gate thru a relative popularly known as "Masikini".
Another opinion is for Barasa to seek to resonate with voters thru one on one interactions, redirect his online energies away from attacking his opponents( this sells them instead) and craft an agenda that is reasonable.
"It is not late Barasa can rise again the idea that he is above his opponents is fronted by thieves who want money from him most of them sent to destroy him from within" Says a KNUT official who was vocal on Barasa matters in Kakamega but has since gone mute.
THIS article was first published on eshikumo2030@blogspot.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR; Joel Eshikumo is a syndicated crime journalist majoring in investigative journalism and punchy no holds-barred opinions he can be reached on eshikumo2030@gmail.com
ENDS.
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