Wahome ally trounced as loser cries foul in Elgeyo Marakwet

Chege Njuguna won the UDA nomination to be the Kandara parliamentary seat candidate in the nominations held on Saturday.

In Elgeyo Marakwet, former Marakwet West MP William Kisang beat a field of 20 aspirants to secure the ticket for UDA’s candidate in the Senate election. He is a pole position to replace Kipchumba Murkomen who resigned to join President William Ruto’s Cabinet. 

The by-elections will be held on January 5.

In Kandara, where the seat fell vacant after Alice Wahome was also appointed  Cabinet Secretary, Njuguna garnered 7,826 followed by Titus Njau with 5,335 votes. Stephen Mwaura came third with 4,414, James Kamau garnered 2,191 while Evelyn Waithira managed 1,267 votes.

The contest had attracted 14 candidates.

Njuguna, who was vying on Chama Cha Kazi party ticket, was the runner-up in the August 9 election.

Speaking after being declared the winner, Njuguna said this was the first step towards winning the parliamentary seat. “The by election is the bigger challenge but I am not going to relax because there are other candidates eyeing the seat,” he said.

Free and fair

He also urged his competitors in the party primaries to support him.

Low turn out, claims of voter bribery and delay in starting of the voting characterised the nominations.

Only 30,000 people voted against 105,153 registered voters.

Monica Muhia, a member of UDA election board, said the party had put in place measures to ensure the exercise was free and fair.

Wahome reportedly preferred Mwaura who came third in the nominations.

Though she did not openly campaign for the candidate, people working in her office were said to be doing grassroots lobbying for him.

Speaking during a tour of the constituency last week, Wahome, who is the Water and Sanitation Cabinet Secretary, said the residents would have the final say on who would get the UDA ticket.

She also pledged to work closely with whoever is elected.

“Make a wise decision and get a leader who will deliver quality leadership,” she said during the tour.

In Elgeyo Marakwet, Kisang received 28,136 votes.

Freedom will come

Tim Kipchumba and Jonathan Tanui came second after they each garnered 26,766 votes. Kipchumba has rejected the results, saying they were not a reflection of the people’s wishes.

 “UDA is supposed to be a party that builds hustlers up, but after all the great run, our good friends delayed polling stations from opening, opened them 6 hours later, polled the votes, bought votes (car detained) and went on to even doctor results. One day Freedom will come!” he tweeted after the declaration of the results.

In the August General Election, Kisang, who was  the UDA candidate, lost the parliamentary seat to independent candidate Timothy Kipchumba Toroitich after garnering 15,481 votes against Kipchumba’s 24,563 votes.

Kisang yesterday thanked residents for electing him

“My constituency has experienced tremendous development especially the road network and water availability during my tenure and I’ll extend the same to the County level if elected Senator,” said  Kisang.

A spot check by People Daily revealed that there was low voter turnout in the nominations.

Others who were seeking the UDA ticket included human rights activist Jerotich Seii and former Keiyo South MP Jackson Kiptanui.

Others were Soy MCA Jonah Tanui, Lawrence Mutwol, former Nominated MCA Neddy Kiptoo, first Elgeyo-Marakwet County Assembly Speaker Albert Kochei and Eliud Kiptoo.

Others were Dan Ruto, Daniel Kipkemoi, aka Damboi, George Bett, Abigael Jerotich, Gladys Maiyo, Jesca Kiplagat, aka Chebomuren, Florence Jepkosgei, aka Toto, Anne Cheboi and lawyers Hillary Cheboi and Kiprop Marrirmoi.

Clan rivalry

It is widely believed that the UDA candidate will carry the day in next year’s by-election.

President Ruto led-UDA enjoys overwhelming support in the region and it clinched majority of seats in the August polls.

Murkomen, who vied on a UDA ticket, was declared the winner in August after he garnered 141,091 votes beating former Governor Alex Tolgos who was running on a Jubilee ticket.

The clan factor has been shaping up in the senatorial race with the perennial rivalry between the dominant Marakwet and Keiyo communities playing out.