‘Koti Moja’ ups his ante in Uasin Gishu governor bid
Wycliffe Kipsang
The name ‘Koti Moja’ is synonymous with Uasin Gishu County politician Jonathan Bii aka Chelilim who is seeking to succeed Governor Jackson Mandago, now serving his second and final term.
‘Koti Moja’ came about as a derogatory term by his opponents who touted him for owning one jacket and could not go far politically compared to his flamboyant friends, some of who have been using choppers to traverse the vast region.
“We have accepted it and owned the name and we are happy it is resonating well with the ordinary people who identify themselves with our ideals,” Bii who is seeking the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket told People Daily in an interview, yesterday.
In campaign rallies, you will find his supporters displaying worn-out jackets as a way of identifying themselves with him.
Bii is also seeking to shrug off the Kanu tag as he was the independence party’s ardent supporter and defender for many years in Rift Valley before ditching it for Deputy President William Ruto-led UDA.
“I am firmly in UDA as opposed to the propaganda you are hearing. I realised that selling Kanu in Rift Valley is a pipe dream and that is water under the bridge now,” said Bii who lost to Caleb Kositany in Soy in the last General Election.
Bii is viewed as having an upper hand as he was among the early entrants in the race.
He hit the ground running to market himself three years ago and none of the other aspirants has covered ground as he has.
The soft-spoken politician will battle it out for the UDA ticket with Kositany, former Kenyan ambassador to China Sarah Serem and Nairobi Environment County executive Vesca Kangogo. Others include prominent businessman David Lagat alias DL and former Kenya envoy to Pakistan Julius Bitok.
Bii has pledged that if elected, he will create an enabling environment for investors and market the North Rift as an ideal industrial hub. “We will ensure value addition for agricultural products for farmers to reap fully from the sector. We will also set up a stimulus package for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). We will also look for partners who can rivatilise industries in the region,” said Bii.
Being a cosmopolitan region, Bii pledged to be in the forefront in promoting peaceful co-existence and bring all communities on board in Uasin-Gishu County.
“My administration will be all inclusive. All communities will be accommodated in my government. Nobody should feel sidelined,” said Bii.
He said his administration will also set up a county referral hospital to stop over-reliance on the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital which serves the whole of Western Kenya.
According to Bii, he will set up a governors scholarship fund to empower youth who clear university further their studies.
“If elected, we will also set up a diaspora office to link us up with job opportunities for young people abroad,” said Bii.
He expressed optimism that UDA primaries will be free and fair devoid on any form of underhand dealings.
Bii’s political journey began in 2007 when he unsuccessfully contested on a Kanu ticket against Ruto then an ODM candidate for Eldoret North seat.
Born in Soy, Bii, went to Chemororoch primary school and Arnesenes Boys secondary. He worked at Moi University’s Chepkoilel campus as a students’ affairs officer and as a library assistant.
The candidate who will clinch the UDA ticket will face off with business mogul Zedekiah Kiprop Bundotich alias Buzeki who came second to governor Mandago in 2017 running as an independent candidate.
