Ugunja By-election Frontrunner Vows to Woo Corporate Partners in Scholarship Deal

Eng. Frederick ZB Owino (in yellow cap) during a past function. Photos: Donated

Already ZB Owino through his scholarship efforts is supporting students in Rang’ala Girls, Simerro Mixed Secondary School, St. Mary’s Yala, Sawagongo High School and Simenya Secondary School. The students benefit from partial scholarships which ZB claims can be upscaled to full-scholarship once he has the negotiation platform as area Member of Parliament.

“I grew up in abject poverty and am therefore eternally grateful to the people whose generosity enabled me to have an education,” said ZB.

While addressing participants in Siaya’s premier online interview Hard Talk, ZB said he specifically appreciates the generosity of his benefactors, Rang’ala CCF, Hon. Raila Odinga, relatives, neighbours, friends, and village-mates for their support be it materially, financially or through prayers. Today, he said, he can be counted among Luo literati only because of communal goodwill and crowdfunding.

As such ZB has committed to dedicate his life and personal resources for public good, especially within his Ugunja community.

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Because of his longstanding love for sports Eng. ZB Owino resonates very well with youth in Ugunja Constituency.

He said that although he is prepared to work with the people of Ugunja in all spheres to uplift living standards he will put in extra effort in areas of agribusinesses and education.

Frederick ZB Owino was born in 1981 in Simerro Village of Rang’ala sub-location, Sidindi Ward in Ugunja Constituency.

He is married to a beautiful lady from Ugunja Ward with whom they are blessed with three children. He is also a nephew to the people of Mudaho village in Sigomre Ward the family of elder citizen Onyango Ofisa.

ZB’s mother is popular known as “Nyar g’ obila” given that the brother was a police officer. She introduced him to the Catholic faith to which he remains to this day a staunch adherent.

Orphaned in 1985 at the tender age of 4 years ZB was raised by a single mother who depended on brewing chang’aa besides doing “abedo business”, which he too excelled in, to make ends meet.

ZB attended Simerro Primary School, where he topped his class in the 1995 KCPE examination.

He then joined the prestigious St. Mary’s School, Yala in 1996.

It’s important to note that ZB Owino joined Yala as one of bottom students having come from a remote village school but eventually emerged as the top student in the 1999 KCSE examination not only in Yala but in the entire Siaya District.

It is said that the mother used to joke that he had been used to beating people in primary school but now wouldn’t manage that feat anymore because he was joining brighter people. But as fate would have it and through persistent hard work and singular focus, he once again proved her wrong.

He was subsequently admitted to the venerated fountain of knowledge, The University of Nairobi, to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, a course he completed successfully and graduated with honours in 2006.

He was privileged to join Kenya Airways in 2007 as a Graduate Trainee Engineer and after a thorough 18 months of training, was employed as a Production Planning Engineer, a position he held till June, 2009.

Thereafter, he joined a Multi National Company as a Project Engineer and now a PMP Certified Project Manager with the same company managing projects in 13 countries in the larger East African region.

In a field of eleven contestants Moses Omondi (top) and Eng. ZB Owino are the frontrunners, although many people believe ZB is ahead in the race.

Even before he made a foray into politics ZB Owino is known for standing with the community in terms of social support for different causes, medical fees for the vulnerable, funerals costs, and other special needs.

ZB Owino urged his fellow contestants to comport themselves in a gentlemanly manner in order to carry out a by-election free of coercion and violence.