Residents of Homa Bay County have described the late Senator Gerald Otieno Kajwang as a champion and defender of the new constitution.
His close friend dating way back in the early 1980s, Isaiah Onyango said the late Senator was a man of the people. Onyango, the Kisumu County Assembly Chief Whip said Kajwang was a brilliant politician who had the ability to sway the crowd his way.
“Until now we depart because of death, he has remained my friend, he has remained by mentor and he has remained by advisor to the point we are talking now,” he said.
His development track record, he said, speaks for itself noting that Mbita constituency saw a tarmacked road since independence during the tenure of Kajwang.
“Mbita is now shining in terms of development due to good leadership courtesy of Kajwang. Walk around you will see secondary schools established during his time,” he said.
He described his political life as successful arguing that he remained with ODM party at a time youthful MPs were bent on rocking the party.
Kisumu East Constituency ODM party chairman Osumba Olum agrees that the void left by Kajwang in the party is wide and a blow to party leader Raila Odinga.
Olum noted that Kajwang commanded respect from the party followers and was one of the leaders in the Luo community who could have succeeded Raila when his time comes to retire.
“People have been talking about succession. I want to say that the people who were supposed to succeed Raila when he retires are people like Kajwang. They know where we were going and where people are coming from,” he said.
Kajwang was born in 1959 and was first elected MP for Mbita constituency in 1997, a position he held for three consecutive terms. He also was the Immigration Minister in the last government.
He died last night at Mater Hospital after suffering cardiac arrest.