1m Maasai vote up for grabs by Jubilee, Nasa

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party and the opposition National Super Alliance (Nasa) have drawn up battle lines in the fight for over a million votes in Maasailand.

In 2013, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga beat President Kenyatta in Narok County and still considers the region an opposition stronghold, further fuelling the ongoing supremacy tussle.

Mr Odinga garnered 50 per cent of the votes (118,623) compared to Mr Kenyatta’s 46 per cent (109,413).

With Mr Odinga having been given the Nasa presidential ticket, the stage is now set for another round of battle for Maasailand vote between the two leaders come August 8 General Election.

But the quest for Maasai vote is not all about the two leaders.

Deputy President William Ruto, views the Maasai as an appendage of his Kalenjin bastion and is pulling out all the stops to blunt Mr Odinga’s inroads.

STAKES HIGHER

For Mr Odinga, the fight for Narok, Samburu, and Kajiado is a do-or-die affair for these are among the regions that overwhelmingly supported his presidential bid in 2007, an election in which his opponent, Mwai Kibaki, was controversially declared the winner.

The stakes are even higher given the requirement that a candidate garners 50 per cent-plus-one of votes to win the presidency. Although there were no nominations for gubernatorial , senatorial and woman rep positions in the Jubilee Party primaries in Narok as the three aspirants have no challengers, all the six constituencies- Narok West, Narok East, Narok North, Narok South, Kilgoris and Emurua Dikirr went to the nominations.

Governor Samuel Tunai, Woman Rep Soipan Kudate and former Narok South MP Nkoidila ole Lankas did not participate in the exercise after their challengers reportedly dropped out of the race in their favour.

CARRY PARTY FLAG

They are joined by MPs Lemanken Aramat and Korei Lemein who were nominated to carry the party’s flag in the General Election alongside Kilgoris MP Gideon Konchella to deliver votes for the Jubilee party.

Mr Aramat beat his closest rival, former Nakuru County finance officer Kapaya Torome, by 5,793 votes to clinch the party ticket for Narok East seat in the hotly contested party primaries.

Mr Lemein emerged winner after getting 23, 986 votes against Mr Matunke Mayone (9, 981) and Mr Langat Nahashon (1,580).

On the ODM side is Narok North MP Moitalel Ole Kenta, a Jubilee rebel.

Seen as the steering wheel for opposition politics in the county, Mr Kenta describes the political mood in Maasailand as a re-awakening.

Mr Kenta ditched Jubilee party after he moved to court to oppose the dissolution of The National Alliance (TNA) that he used as his bandwagon to Parliament in 2013.

Citing ideological differences with the Jubilee party leadership, Mr Kenta said the Jubilee government failed to articulate the issues facing the Maasai Community.

POLITICAL PATRONAGE

The MP also accused the Jubilee administration of engaging in political patronage, dismissing the notion that it will boost DP William Ruto’s chances of winning the presidency in 2022.

“Maasailand was in Jubilee but they spat in our faces. Now, we have decided and will speak in one voice,” said Mr Kenta.

He added: “Unless a miracle happens, the Maasai people are going to ODM. For Jubilee, it is a case of closing the gates when the goats have already bolted out.”

But Mr Kenta has a tough battle in his constituency after a former legal adviser to the Kenyan Embassy at the Hague, Mr Kaitikei Rotiken, defeated his closest rival Ms Agnes Pareyio by 435 votes after he garnered 11, 032 against Ms Pareyio 10, 597 votes.

Others in the contest were Mr Nelson Keshei (4,802) and Ms Agnes Shonko (1,197).

If the results are anything to go by, the Narok North Constituency election will be a titanic battle between Mr Kenta, Mr Rotiken, Chama Cha Mashinani candidate and Prescott university don Meitamei Ololdapash and the Wiper party candidate lawyer Martine ole Kamwaro.

POPULOUR PURKO

The constituency, with 60,237 voters is the political hotbed for the populous Purko clan and was established for the 1969 General Elections. It was first represented in the National assembly by Mr Moses ole Marima.
In the 2013 General Election, the then Heritage minister William Ronkorua ole Ntimama lost the seat to lawyer Kenta (TNA) in bid to recapture the region parliamentary seat. The lawyer garnered 22,680 votes against Ntimama’s 20,024.

The late Ntimama had vied on an ODM ticket and had controlled the Maasai politics for close to a quarter of a century (1988-2007) after beating the then powerful minister in the Office of the President Justus Kandet Ole Tipis who was in power from 1974 to 1988, gaining fame as one of President Daniel arap Moi’s stalwart.

CLOSELY CONTESTED

Narok West nominations were closely contested between former Narok West Sub-County officer Stanley Mpoe who emerged the winner with 8,792, closely followed by former public board chairman Francis Koros (8,164), former chief officer for Tourism Willy Loigero (8,078), and former ECD director Paul Chesimet (4,247).

Mr John Bore trailed in the race after getting a paltry 1,030 votes.

Mr Mpoe will now face Chama cha Mashinani’s candidate, Mr Gabriel Tongoyo on the ballot on August 8.

The incumbent Patrick ole Ntutu will not defend his and will instead be battling for the gubernatorial seat with Governor Samuel Tunai.