COUNTY POLITICS: Aspirants for Nandi Senate seat rush for Jubilee, Kanu tickets

Nandi Senator Stephen Sang speaks to a reporter. He will not be seeking re-election. FILE PHOTO | SALATON NJAU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Cheruiyot will have to work hard to woo the electorate to his side to enable him clinch the seat.
  • The candidates have been attending church functions, funerals and other public gatherings where they woo voters to support their bid.

The race for the Nandi senatorial position is expected to be a contest between the old guards and young turks.

The aspirants are seeking to replace Senator Stephen Sang who has shifted his sights to the gubernatorial seat.

At least four aspirants have thrown their hats in the ring for the post.

They include Mr John Cheruiyot, lawyer and civil rights activist Samson Kiprotich Cherargei, Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) national trustee Boniface Tenai as well as Mr Fred Kiptanui, a Kapsabet-based politician.

AFFILIATION TO MOI
Mr Cheruiyot is a former cabinet minister for Cooperative Development during retired President Daniel arap Moi’s regime.

Elected Aldai MP in 1988, the Kanu candidate is the son of Mr Ezekiel Birech, the African Inland Church (AIC) leader, who had close ties with retired President Moi.

Mr Cheruiyot contested the region’s gubernatorial seat on a Kanu ticket in the 2013 General Election and has remained a staunch supporter of the independence party.

With Nandi predominantly a Jubilee zone, Mr Cheruiyot will have to work hard to woo the electorate to his side to enable him clinch the seat.

FUNDS MISUSE
He is, however, hopeful that Kanu’s dalliance with the ruling party will work to his advantage.

“As a Kanu candidate, Mr Cheruiyot is likely to benefit in the event Jubilee nominations are bungled,” said Johnstone Too, a political analyst in the region.

Lawyer Cherargei is considered Nandi Governor Cleophas Lagat’s major critic.

The lawyer is eying the Jubilee Party’s ticket and will square it out with other aspirants in tomorrow’s primaries.

Mr Cherargei teamed up with former ambassador to Australia Stephen Tarus, accusing Governor Lagat of misuse of development funds allocated to the county by the national government, accusations Dr Lagat has repeatedly denied.

TEACHERS' VOTES
At the center of the controversy is the Sh3.8 billion, which Mr Cherargei and team claim, was misappropriated in 2015.

Mr Lagat has however maintained that the funds have been put to proper use.

The aspirant, at one point, led a group of civil society and dissatisfied electorate in holding demonstrations in Kapsabet town to protest the alleged misuse of the money and claims of nepotism in employment opportunities and awarding of contracts.

Mr Tenai is another new entrant in the Senate seat race.

The outspoken trade unionist is banking on support from the teaching fraternity and experience in previous election campaigns.

“I have embarked on door-to-door campaigns to enable the electorate understand my policies instead of holding public rallies,” said Mr Tenai, who will be seeking the Jubilee ticket.

Mr Kiptanui is also in the race, seeking the Jubilee ticket.

The candidates have been attending church functions, funerals and other public gatherings where they woo voters to support their bid to be the next Nandi Senator.