Several days after his arrest, supporters of Migori Governor Okoth Obado took to the streets in Migori county, especialy his Uriri backyard, in a bid to push for his release and register their displeasure.
The demonstrations were, however, short lived, with the Governor going ahead to be sent to the first and second remand, his supporters now looking from their homes.
This is most likely due to lack of political goodwill, considering that most of such political demonstrations usually thrive when coordinated and led by politicians.
But with Obado literally on his own without any highly ranked leader on his side, with even his Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) co-members disowning him, his supporters had nothing much to do.
This is as well emanating from what has been seen in the recent past, especially in the Luo Nyanza region where demonstrators rioting against President Uhuru Kenyatta’s reelection in 2017 were subjected to the full force of the anti-riot police.
And with the same likely to be the case should they have continued protesting, resulting to running battles, teargas hurling, destruction of property, disruption of business, and at times death when such turn chaotic, the best move was to shun it.
Kenyans have as well been shaken by the sudden rise of cost of living courtesy of the 8 percent price increment.
Obado’s supporters might have realized that they are the ones who will go to bed on an empty stomach after the protests, and decided to concentrate on their jobs and other operations instead.
Finally, this can be traced back to opposition leader and the region’s political kingpin Raila Odinga’s silence.
With the leader silent, most people from the region consider it a sign of concurrence, and might have translated his indifference to a sign that whatever is happening is right, hence their move to go silent too.
Obado is facing murder charges after being implicated in the abduction and murder of Rongo University student Sharon Otieno earlier this month.
Obado was on Thursday, September 27, remanded for 13 more days at the Industrial Area prison in Nairobi, with the task of running the county now lying in the hands of his deputy Nelson Mwita.
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