Party politics and economy top agenda in race for Nandi

Two of Nandi’s heavyweights will be fighting for political survival in the March 4, 2013 elections.

Cabinet ministers Henry Kosgey and Sally Kosgei have refused to join the bandwagon of Eldoret North MP William Ruto.

Mr Ruto’s influence in the county has grown since he quit the Orange Democratic Movement, launched his United Republican Party and announced his presidential bid.

And although his decision to give way to Uhuru Kenyatta in the Jubilee alliance may have blunted his support somewhat, Ruto is still a major factor in Nandi.

Mr Kosgey and Dr Kosgei have decided to stick with ODM which is in alliance with Wiper Democratic Movement and Ford Kenya. That Mr Ruto will be running mate of Mr Kenyatta and that Mr Musalia Mudavadi has been jettisoned from Jubilee is a massive boost for the two bigwigs.

Mr Kosgey, the ODM chairman who wanted to be Mr Odinga’s running mate until Kalonzo Musyoka came on board will now contest the Nandi senate seat.
Dr Kosgei, a former head of the civil service under President Moi, is content with defending her Aldai parliamentary seat.

Just like in the 2007 elections when Nandi voters almost to a person voted for ODM, the situation was looking likely to repeat itself in 2013 only that this time round it will be the URP calling the shots.

Mr Ruto, the Eldoret North MP and an ally-turned foe of Mr Odinga has had a magnetic hold on voters here.

However, some say the recent developments in the alliances, especially Jubilee’s decision to give Kenyatta the ticket could alter the game plan.

Initially, many had been skeptical about the Uhuru-Ruto alliance particularly when it emerged the later would be playing second fiddle.

But many would have been comfortable with Mudavadi as the candidate, given the significant Luhya vote in the county and his own deep ties to the Kalenjin.

Nandi County in Rift Valley presents an interesting face of Kenya with a population of 795,000 people. Geographically, it stretches from the low-lying Soin to the south through the lush green highlands of Kapng’etuny (Nandi Hills) to the stretch of endless plateau in Mosop to the north.

Lush green carpets of tea bushes dot a large area of the county that is home to several multi-national tea companies that rake in billions of shillings from the sector.

Besides tea, the county boasts of huge parcels of land under maize and a vibrant dairy sector.

But despite the huge resource base arising from the favourable climatic conditions, fertile arable land and an industrious population, the wealth has not been translated into a vibrant economic base.

Kapsabet, the administrative headquarters of the county has little to show for the wealth in terms of investment in real estate.

Nandi is famous for being the home town of medal winning athletes including Kipchoge Keino, Henry Rono, Moses Tanui and Bernard Lagat. Recently the county added the 2008 Beijing 800m Olympic champion Pamela Jelimo to the list of its famous sportsmen and women.

Most of the athletes who rake in millions of dollars from the sport have instead chosen to invest their wealth in Eldoret town. Yet Nandi’s proximity to Eldoret International Airport, vast fertile land and good rains make Nandi an ideal destination for investment.

Thanks to devolution though, Kapsabet and Nandi Hills towns are slowly taking a new shape as several high rise buildings come up. Local residents and aspiring leaders say devolution has changed the perception on investing in their home areas.

Former Eldoret Polytechnic principal and governor aspirant Dr Cleophas Langat says the new developments show the confidence people have in the devolved system.

“There is a new awakening especially among the athletes and other businessmen and women who have started serious investment. Financial institutions are opening up branches too, an indication the economy is getting more vibrant,” said Dr Langat.

Other issues that are likely to dominate election campaigns include the economic and social well-being of the people. Over the years the economy has dominated election campaigns. Top on the agenda is how the high agricultural potential could be harnessed especially with regard to infrastructure, credit and markets for farm produce.

The other area of interest is education and healthcare.

Nandi is also one of the leading producers of maize and milk. The tea plantations owned by multinationals and small scale farmers employ the largest number of people.

Whereas Mr Kosgey is leading the Cord camp in the county, Mombasa tycoon David Langat, a key ally of Mr Ruto, is doing the spadework for Jubilee.

Although he has not declared interest in any of the positions in the next elections, Mr Langat is said to be quietly having a hand in almost all candidates who are seeking seats — senators, governors, MPs, Women Representatives and county wards — in the URP line up. Mr Kosgey and Mr Langat are fierce political rivals. Mr Langat ran aginst the ODM chairman in 2007 but lost.

In May this year, he mobilised some 30,000 voters who petitioned the High Court to challenge the way, Mr Kosgey wanted Tinderet constituency subdivided and the court ruled in favour of Mr Langat. Some voters were against Tinderet being divided as the minister wanted to lock out his rivals in the 2013 election.

One of the biggest issues in the county ahead of the elections will be land, especially that belonging to the multinational tea companies whose leases are expiring after the enactment of the Constitution which reduced the lease period from 999 years to 99 years.

That these companies play a big role in the economy of the county is not in doubt and aspirants are agreed that the leases must be handled with care.

There are some who are pushing that the land reverts back to the people, but this will put tea production and the economy of the county in jeopardy.

Then there is also the issue of peace and harmony. Nandi is a cosmopolitan region that has been hit by election related violence on a regular basis since the return of pluralism in 1992. In the 2007 fiasco, it suffered some of the worst violence in the whole country.

Indeed, Mr Kosgey was among the initial Ocampo Six who were charged with sponsoring violence. However, he was freed together with former police commissioner Hussein Ali for lack of evidence.

The other two suspects, Mr Ruto and former vernacular radio presenter Joshua arap Sang, are also Nandi, although they now live in Uasin Gishu and Trans Nzoia respectively.

Naturally, peaceful co-existence between the various communities in the county is a major issue in the campaigns.

Nandi county normally sets the pace and direction for the rest of Kalenjin regions since 1963 when Kenya got independence.

Former President Daniel arap Moi who was born in Baringo County sought blessings from elders in Nandi in 1950 before embarking on his political career in the Legco.

The Nandi have produced outspoken leaders among them Jean Marie Seroney who was a thorn in the flesh of the British colonialists and the Kenyatta government and Bishop Alexander Kipsang Muge, who fearlessly took on the Moi regime at the peak of its oppression.

Indeed, Nandi has a long history of resistance to oppression and other forms of misrule starting from pre-independence days when they fought against the British.

The Great Nandi Laibon Koitalel Samoei led the war that lasted seven years before he was killed by the British in 1905.

But this fierce and restless spirit among the Nandi is also blamed for the civil strife that has dogged the county for decades and that is blamed for lack of development.

How to channel this passion into more positive activity will be one of the biggest challenges for the new leadership.

Aspirants for governor

Focus on poverty in region that produces tea milk and maize

Stephen Tarus

The former Emgwen MP was first elected to Parliament in 2002 on a Narc ticket.

Prior to joining politics, he served in different positions in the public sector including in Moi University and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).

He was appointed ambassador to Australia in 2008 after he lost in the 2007 elections. He has a good development record and says his priority is economic empowerment of the people.

Dr Cleophas Langat, URP

He is a former chief principal of Eldoret Polytechnic.

Dr Langat said he worked to expand the institution making students enrolment increase from 1,000 to 7,000 currently.

He says his priorities are universal education for all and improvement of infrastructure, water, health, and agriculture. He will also exploit the tourism potential and establish training colleges for athletes to tap talent among the youths.

Joseph Manjoy Lagat, RBK

He is a former director of the Eastern Produce Tea Company, (EPK). He says Nandi county requires a tested manager as governor for fast development.

He says Nandi has a lot of resources which are poorly managed. The region produces milk, maize and tea but poverty is still high.

He says the county leadership needs to work closely with all communities and that those who have settled should be encouraged to invest while youths should shun violence seen in 2008.

Alex Keter, URP

The former PS in the Ministry Trade also served as Kenyan ambassador to Rwanda during the first year of President Kibaki’s rule. Mr Ketter says Nandi has failed to achieve its development goals because of impunity which he wants stamped out and called for respect for rule of law.

He says the county receives rains almost all year and has rich soils yet people complain of food shortages. He says he will improve farming, education, infrastructure and find markets.

Judah arap Bett, Kanu

He is a businessman who is going into politics for the first time. He has spent most of his career in the private sector, rising to a regional director in an eastern and southern Africa of multinational company.

He says his priorities for Nandi include poverty alleviation, sustainable development and education improvement. He says he has a vision of a wealthy county through strategic focus on education, health and poverty eradication programmes.

Aspirants for senate

Both the old and young hands in politics seek to fight it out

John Cheruiyot, Wiper

He was MP for Aldai between 1988 and 1992 during which he served as minister for Commerce and Cooperative Development. He has BEd from the University of Nairobi.

He says his priority as senator is to work with the governor and other leaders to ensure that the county’s natural resources are well managed. He will also help empower young people start cottage industries and train them to manage and operate them. He also pledges to improve education and introduce digital villages.

Stephen arap Sang, URP

The 31-year-old lawyer currently works as a consultant on governance, democracy and devolution with a number of organisations. He also works with a number of local organisations among them the EMO Community Development Society and Rift Valley Development Trust both of which champion the social and economic empowerment within Rift Valley.

He says his priority is land reforms focusing on resettlement of squatters and issue of title deeds in a county where 70 per cent have none.

Henry Kosgey, ODM

He is the most experienced politician among those in the race. Initially hoping for running mate position with Raila Odinga, he has been Tinderet MP and Cabinet minister for the last 30 years.

Mr Kosgey’s political career came under serious threat when he appeared before the International Criminal Court in connection with the 2008 election violence. He was also charged with abuse of office as minister for Industrialisation. However, he was cleared in both cases.

David Joseph Tanui, URP

He is a former UN Security Council employee in New York. Mr Tanui, 38, has an MBA from Kenyatta University, and is a former GSU officer who worked in the presidential escort before he joined the UN.

He says he strongly believes that change of leadership can transform the entire community for the better. If elected he will use the networks he acquired at the UN to develop Nandi.

He will focus on education, employment, tea, and sugar industry and attract new investors.

Aspirants for women representative

Education and women affairs ranked top

Tecla Tum, Kanu

The former Moi University lecturer is making her political debut.

She promises to address issues affecting women and adds she has visited all corners of the county and interacted with women and understands their challenges.

She wants women empowerment and education for all. She will also work for harmony of all the communities living in the county by ensuring peaceful campaigns and fair distribution resources.

Zipora Kering, URP

She is the Nandi Central Knut branch secretary.

Born in Kamarich village of Aldai constituency, Kering worked with National Cereals Board before training as a teacher at Highridge Teachers College in Nairobi. She taught for many years before joining trade union politics, becoming the first woman in Rift Valley, Western and Nyanza regions to be elected a Knut branch secretary.

She also has a passion for sports and is an official of Athletics Kenya. She says among her priorities is education and economic advancement for both youth and women, the pillars of development.

Judith Cheptoo Koskei

She is a descendant of Nandi legendary leader Koitalel arap Samoei. She came to the limelight in 2005 when she introduced football tournament for all youths in Nandi County during the Samoei centenary celebrations.

The former Human Resource director with the Kenya Seed Company is not new to Nandi’s public affairs as she has been participating in several development projects, helping schools and churches and needy students to further studies.

Teresa Chekwony, URP

She was a teacher for 22 years, rising to the post of principal before quitting to join politics.

A Kenyatta University graduate in Education, Mrs Chepkowny says she wants to address women’s empowerment and make sure all women access education.

She will also ensure easy access to clean water so that women have time to attend to other important issues in society.