Busia governor race aspirants urged to agree on single candidate

NAIROBI City county assembly majority leader Peter Imwatok has called on two aspirants in the Busia gubernatorial race to end the deadlock in consensus talks, stressing the need for the Teso community to field a single candidate against Governor Paul Otuoma in the 2027 elections.

Imwatok accused Principal Administrative Secretary in the Executive Office of the President, Arthur Osiya, and engineer Vincent Sidai of delaying negotiations meant to consolidate opposition against Otuoma.

“Sidai and Osiya are taking too long to agree on who should step down to face Otuoma, who will be seeking his second and final term. If this stalemate persists, I will have no option but to force myself into the contest,” Imwatok said.

Sidai said he had held discussions with both Osiya and Governor Otuoma, adding that engaging other leaders in consultations was normal. He acknowledged that some residents viewed his meeting with the governor as a betrayal.

“Let us be brothers and respect each other without creating enmity. I will still talk to Osiya, even if it means fighting for one position,” Sidai said.

Osiya, meanwhile, urged that the governorship contest should not be framed as an Iteso community issue, saying he aims to lead Busia county as a whole.

“The decision on who will be Busia governor will be made here, not in Nairobi,” he said. The PAS also questioned Sidai’s late-night meetings with Otuoma, criticising poor service delivery and emphasising that the race will be determined by performance, not intimidation.

Teso North MP Oku Kaunya warned politicians against using youths as goons or hecklers during campaigns, noting that such tactics threatened peace and could backfire at the polls. He urged aspirants to focus on job creation and education.

Meanwhile, Roots Party of Kenya leader George Wajackoyah endorsed Kaunya as Otuoma’s preferred successor in 2032, though he did not explain why he favours him over other contenders, including Sidai and Osiya. Wajackoyah, speaking at the Elalai Cultural and Sports Festival in Angurai division, Teso North, also declared his intention to run for the presidency in 2027.

“If you support President Ruto, support him. But Wajackoyah will still walk away with votes from the Iteso,” he said.