COUNTY POLITICS: Economy given priority as ex-ministers fight for senior post in Nandi

Some of the country’s past top leaders are gearing up for Nandi County gubernatorial race, presenting a major headache for Governor Cleophas Lagat in his bid for a second term.

Interestingly, the political bigwigs are all gunning for the Jubilee Party ticket, triggering fears that there could be a major fallout once the primaries are over.

Those seeking to oust Governor Lagat are former Cabinet Ministers Henry Kosgey, Felix Koskei and the County's Senator Stephen Sang.

DECAMPS FROM ODM
Mr Kosgey is the most known of the three considering his time as a minister and MP for Tinderet (that spanned decades).

He was, however, trounced by a greenhorn, Stephen Sang, then of the United Republican Party, in the race for Senate in 2013.

The loss has been blamed on the fact that he vied on the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ticket.

He has since ditched the Orange party and joined Jubilee and according to political pundits in the region, he is already the frontrunner in the contest.

JUBILEE'S VICTORY
Mr Kosgey, 69, served as minister in retired President Moi and Mwai Kibaki regimes in various dockets in a career that began in 1979.

He started in the Transport and Communications docket then to Co-operative Development, Culture and Social Services, Environment and Natural Resources, Tourism, Science and Technology, Education and finally Industrialisation.

“Last time, I was on the other side. But this time round, I am fully behind Jubilee…even President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto know that so well,” says Mr Kosgey, who made his Parliamentary debut in 1979 as Tinderet MP following the detention of Jean Marie Seroney.

According to Mr Kosgey, Jubilee will win the August 8 polls by a landslide.

“I joined the party to be part of its victory.. We are ready to take on our opponents who think that they will beat us. They should instead stop dreaming and put their house in order because we are prepared for them,” he says.

ICC ISSUE
Mr Kosgey was among six prominent Kenyans charged with crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in relation to the 2007/2008 post-election violence that claimed more than 1,000 lives and more than 500,000 displaced.

He was, however, cleared of the charges alongside President Kenyatta, former Police Commissioner Hussein Ali and former public service head Francis Muthaura.

The other two: Deputy President William Ruto and Joshua Sang, a journalist, were later cleared.

Mr Kosgey took a low political profile after stepping down as ODM chairman but has made a comeback after declaring his intention to oust Mr Lagat.

“Political experience coupled with financial muscle and former loyal supporters might act as an advantage to Mr Kosgey, unlike new entrants who will have an uphill task marketing their policies across the votes-rich county,” argues Mr Joshua Lang’at, a political analyst based in Eldoret.

LIST OF SHAME
The appointment of Mr Kosgey as the chairman of Tourism Trust Fund by the President is viewed by many in the county as a strategy by the Jubilee government to entice the electorate, giving him an upper edge against his opponents.

Critics, however, accuse him of having a clique of elders around him and isolating the youth who form the majority of the voters in his campaign and development agenda.

They want him to do away with the elders who have been accused of isolating him from the youth.

Mr Koskei, a former Agriculture CS, too has been rallying voters in the populous county to support his gubernatorial bid.

The aspirant was forced to step aside from the ministerial docket after he was named in the infamous ‘List of Shame’ in 2015, which accused several state officials of corruption.

EFFECTIVE TACTIC
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) later cleared him of the allegations that he leased out land belonging to the Kenya Veterinary Vaccine Production Institute at Tigoni and ploughed 100 acres on which he planted potatoes.

Once he left the docket, he was immediately linked to the governor’s seat.

“My plan is to empower dairy farmers through provision of free Artificial Insemination services and support other economic sectors in the county to improve standards of livelihoods,” explains Mr Koskei.

He runs the Chalan Foundation that supports bright students from disadvantaged backgrounds to access education.

“As much as Mr Koskei is known to be a performer, he needs to develop a better approach to the electorates, especially on how he plans to tackle their problems in the event he is elected governor,” says Sally Tanui, a Nandi resident.

WEED OUT CORRUPTION
Nandi politics revolves around agriculture and the race for the gubernatorial seat is complicated further with the entry of another Jubilee aspirant Silas Kipruto, a finance, economic planning and commercial law expert with over 15 years of experience in public finance management.

Among his key priorities that oscillate along planning and budgeting include affordable education, improved infrastructure to enable farmers access market with their agricultural produce and public participation in the implementation of development projects.

“Pathetic road networks discourage economic growth but implementation of commercial law with proper budgeting will liberate the residents,” explains Mr Kipruto.

Governor Lagat and some Members of the Nandi County Assembly have held a series of meetings at his North Sub-County home, at which he was pushed to clean up his government and sack corrupt officials to sanitise his re-election campaign.

NEPOTISM
The 48 MCAs were early this year united in rejecting a Sh20 million vote for a Sh35 million gate to separate Nandi from the neighbouring Uasin Gishu County in what political analysts view as a litmus test for Governor Lagat ahead of the 2017 General elections.

The turn of events by the Ward Representatives is likely to complicate the long drawn power struggle pitting Governor Lagat, Senator Sang and Kenya’s former High Commissioner to Australia Stephen Tarus, weathered critics of the County Chief.

Mr Tarus, a former Emgwen MP, lost to Dr Lagat for the gubernatorial position in the last elections.

He has dropped his bid to contest against Dr Lagat and will instead contest for the senatorial position.

Senator Sang has hit out at the county chief over claims of mismanagement of public resources and nepotism in employment opportunities.

UNFULFILLED PLEDGES
He cites roads, health and agriculture as some of the mismanaged sectors in the county, and which he promises to revamp if elected.

“I will ensure that funds allocated to the County from the national treasurer is utilized to the benefit of our people. We all know that our people were displaced from the current multinational tea companies. I will ensure that the land is reverted to our people,” says Senator Sang.

Other critics accuse the governor of unfulfilled pledges and lack of interaction with the electorate.

“The governor has been surrounded by cronies making it difficult to access him to discuss development issues.

“Most of his pledges remain unfulfilled and he is always out of office,” says Mr Noah Kipsang from Chepsonoi.

MY ACHIEVEMENTS
But Mr Lagat has come out fighting, criticising the former diplomat of working with the opposition to bring down his government.

“I want to ask my opponents to hold their political cards until campaigns for the August 8 General Election are formally declared,” says Dr Lagat, while reading political mischief in previous demonstrations against his government.

He dismissed accusations of financial misappropriation and nepotism in employment opportunities in the county.

Governor Lagat banks on the provision of piped water to homesteads, the revival of stalled cattle dips, improved infrastructure and plans to set a first public university to be named Samoei University, as highlights of his achievements.

“My administration has improved provision of health services with the hiring of 400 health workers and supply of drugs in the 197 health centres,” he says.

PARTY NOMINATION
The sentiments are echoed by his supporters who have been campaigning to have him re-elected.

“The governor has a proven development record for the period he has been in office.

Giving him another term will propel the county to better economic standards,” says Mr John Rono, a supporter from Kapsabet.

The Jubilee Party nomination for the Nandi gubernatorial position is crucial for the party to consolidate its support in the voter rich region and retain power in the August 8 General Election.