Rift: DP between a rock and a hard place
Wycliff Kipsang
Political stakes are high in the newly formed United Democratic Alliance (UDA) strongholds as 2022 aspirants rush to seek Deputy President William Ruto’s attention in a bid to bolster their chances of clinching the party’s ticket.
Ruto is faced with a headache of making a delicate balance to get strong candidates to face off with opponents in next year’s General-Election and at the same time not be seen to be favouring some of them.
The battle for the UDA ticket in Rift Valley has intensified with the DP close allies also in the race, complicating issues for the second in command who is seeking to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Tread carefully
Analysts are of the opinion that the DP should tread carefully to avoid a backlash from the electorate should he endorse certain candidates at the expense of the people’s choice.
“The DP is walking a tight rope. Any attempt to endorse certain candidates will see a fallout in UDA, which will see some candidates go independent which will not be good for the party,” an Eldoret based analyst and political commentator Philip Chebunet told People Daily.
The DP is on record saying he will not endorse any candidate for any seat in 2022.
“Ours will just be to issue certificates to the winning candidates. We will work with the choice of the people,” Ruto said recently.
In Uasin Gishu County for instance, Soy MP Caleb Kositany, a close ally to the DP is in the race to succeed Governor Jackson Mandago who is serving his last and second term.
Others eyeing the UDA ticket are Uasin Gishu politician Jonathan Bii, former Kenya’s envoy to Pakistan Julius Bitok, prominent businessman David Lagat alias DL and Nairobi County Environment Executive Vesca Kangogo.
The candidate who will clinch the UDA ticket will face off with business mogul and politician Zedekiah Bundotich alias Buzeki who came second to Mandago in 2017 as an independent candidate.
The same has been witnessed in Baringo County , where Labour Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui is said to be seeking the UDA ticket to unseat Governor Stanley Kiptis.
Chelugui who came second to Baringo Senator Gideon Moi in 2017, has not openly expressed interest in the seat but has intensified his tours of the grassroots veiled as government projects. Both Kiptis and Chelugui are close allies of the DP.
Also eyeing the seat is Tourism Principal Secretary Fred Segor, who is also a close ally of the DP.
Former Governor Benjamin Cheboi, who was trounced by Kiptis, is also seeking to make a political comeback on a UDA ticket.
“There are many pending projects we did not finish during our first term. If the people say I should come back, who I’m I not to heed their call?” Cheboi told People Daily.
Baringo County Assembly clerk Richard Koech who served as finance Chief Officer during Cheboi’s tenure is also seeking the UDA ticket for the gubernatorial seat.
The same has been witnessed in Nandi County where the incumbent Stephen Sang is facing the battle of his life to retain the seat.
He will battle it out with Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei and former Governor Cleophas Lagat, who is seeking to make a political comeback, for the UDA ticket. Also, said to be eyeing the party’s ticket is former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Felix Kosgey.
Kericho County is also expected to be another political battle ground noting that key allies of the DP are seeking the UDA ticket to succeed Governor Paul Chepkwony.
Delicate balance
Those eyeing the seat are Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter and Senator Aaron Cheruiyot. Former Kipkelion MP Magerer Lang’at has also declared that he will be in the race.
Keter resigned from his Senate seat in 2015 after he was appointed to the Cabinet.
The DP will have to make a delicate balance on who to support between the two as both have been his ardent supporters and defenders.
In the neighbouring Bomet County, the race is also expected to be a tight one after Chama Cha Mashinani leader Isaac Ruto declared that he will be making a political comeback seeking to unseat Hillary Barchok. Barchok took over following the death of Governor Joyce Laboso.
The race will be a tight one noting that the CCM leader, recently announced that he will support the DP’s 2022 presidential bid.
