Boinnet trounced in UDA nominations by youthful aspirant
Former Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet's stab at politics has been handed a humiliating defeat in the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) primaries in Elgeyo-Marakwet County by a youthful aspirant.
Boinnet was trounced by Wisley Rotich, 36, who garnered 42,258 votes against Boinnet's 32,503 votes.
Others included: Josphat Sawe (1,1547 votes), Loice Kipkorir (1,315), and Sammy Tangus who managed 3,933 votes.
An elated Rotich yesterday pledged to serve the people of Elgeyo-Marakwet County diligently.
"My administration will be all-inclusive. No community will feel sidelined during my tenure," Mr Rotich told his supporters after he was announced the winner.
Elgeyo-Marakwet County is mostly inhabited by the Marakwet and Keiyo communities.
Mr Rotich has pledged to look for a lasting solution to the perennial cattle rustling menace which has left hundreds death in the porous Kerio Valley.
"I want to reach out to leaders from the warring communities and look into the root cause if this problem which has also scared away potential investors," Rotich, who is Governor Alex Tolgos deputy said.
In the parliamentary seats, Keiyo North MP James Murgor also lost his bid to defend his seat on a UDA ticket.
He was trounced by Adams Kipsanai, an aide of Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen.
Mr Kipsanai garnered 6,523 votes while Dr Murgor managed 6,383 votes in the hot race.
Keiyo South MP Daniel Rono was also trounced in the party primaries by a young aspirant.
Mr Kimaiyo garnered 16,204 votes against Mr Rono's 6, 213 votes.
Governor Tolgos who is serving his second and last term has since expressed interest in the senatorial seat on an Azimio La Umoja ticket.
Governor Tolgos is the second county boss from the North Rift to launch a bid for Senate after Jackson Mandago of Uasin Gishu who is also serving his last term.
Analysts opine that the entrance of Tolgos in the Elgeyo-Marakwet Senate race presents a new challenge to Murkomen who has not had a serious challenger for the seat in the last two elections.
Senator Murkomen easily beat former Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo in 2017.
Elgeyo-Marakwet County is mostly inhabited by the Keiyo and Marakwet communities and both Tolgos and Murkomen are Marakwet.
Governor Tolgos had been a supporter of Deputy President William Ruto supporter but they fell out after the last election.
The governor who is a close ally to ODM leader Raila Odinga won on the ticket of Ruto’s URP in 2013 and moved with him to Jubilee in 2017 where he successfully defended his seat.
Initially, he found refuge in Baringo Senator Gideon Moi’s side but has since embraced President Uhuru Kenyatta-Raila camp.
During the quest to pass the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) last year, Tolgos was picked by the President and Raila to lead its campaign in the North Rift.
Opinion has been divided in the county whether the Marakwet and Keiyo communities should share seats through consensus.
Both Mr Tolgos and Senator Murkomen come from the Marakwet community but a section of residents want the two slots shared between Keiyo and Marakwet communities.
The Keiyo community was the biggest casualty in 2017 after they lost all the coveted gubernatorial, senatorial and woman representative seats to the Marakwet community.
The Marakwet clinched the gubernatorial seat (Alex Tolgos), senatorial (Kipchumba Murkomen) and woman representative (Janet Chebaibai).
In 2013 election, Governor Tolgos who vied on URP garnered 71,395 votes and floored Mr Moses Changwony of Kanu who was his main challenger.
Mr Changwony managed 27,304 votes. The county has more than 134,000 registered voters.
