The comeback of Margaret Kamar into active politics

Margaret Kamar celebrates in Eldoret town on April 27, 2017 with her supporters after winning the Jubilee Party’s Uasin Gishu Senate ticket. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Former Higher Education cabinet minister Margaret Kamar is headed for a major comeback in the national politics after she secured Jubilee Party ticket to contest for Uasin Gishu senatorial seat in the August 8 General Election.

The soft spoken and assertive academic, Prof Kamar garnered 65,931 votes to beat a field of 13 men who included the incumbent Isaac Melly who came fourth with only 10, 391 votes.

Her closest rival, Robert Kemei, a popular comedian, emerged second with 44,467 votes.

Other candidates in the race included former Eldoret East MP Joseph Lagat (11,254), Josiah Kipkemei (8,923), William Kipkoech (7,070), Philip Melly (3,752), Victorine Chepkorir (2,750), David Sawe (2,047), Julius Tirop (2,198), Philip Kimutai (1,318), Abraham Kipyego (843), Alex Kibitok (1,826) and Simon Lilan (869).

In 2013, Prof Kamar braved the strong United Republican Party wave in the Rift Valley, vying on an ODM ticket and came in second to Governor Jackson Mandago in the gubernatorial race.

CHANGE OF PLAN

Her sticking to the ODM party, it is believed, cost her political aspirations of becoming the first Uasin Gishu governor.

“Most electorate saw her as a matured and experienced leader having held top positions in the government. I think the fact she also contested for the gubernatorial seat previously made her likeable by many,” noted David Kipchumba from Soy.

It was widely speculated that she would run for the same position this year but the former Eldoret East lawmaker reportedly withdrew from the race for that post to vie for senator.

It is said that Prof Kamar was prevailed to go for senatorial seat over the gubernatorial.

“The assumption that I was going for governorship came from the fact that I vied for the same post in the last elections because I have never mentioned governorship since then, it has been senate all through,” said Prof Kamar.

Prof Kamar was appointed assistant minister for environment in 2008. She would later replace Deputy President William Ruto as the minister of higher education after he fell out with then Prime Minister Raila Odinga in the Grand-Coalition government.

JUBILEE TICKET

Other high profile leaders who lost in last general elections in the region included then cabinet ministers (in the Grand Coalition government) Henry Kosgey, Sally Kosgei and Musa Sirma.

Mr Kosgey, former ODM chairman and Sirma also ditched opposition party to run for Nandi gubernatorial seat and Eldama Ravine parliamentary seat respectively but they lost in the recent party primaries.

In late 2016, Prof Kamar had declined to reveal the political party that she would use despite declaring interest for the post.

But her decision to join President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy William Ruto’s North Rift tour in November last year became more evident that she would vie on Jubilee Party ticket.

In an interview with Nation, Prof Kamar indicated that she opted to shift to the senate because she wants to play an oversight role.

“The reason I shifted to the senate is because in my own thinking and my own understanding I really would like to be able to supervise how the distribution of funds is being done. I want to be a lawmaker,” said Prof Kamar.

She went on: “A governor is like a spanner boy, and a governor is someone who implements things the way they have been told to implement that because we have MCAs at the county level who must pass laws.”

BIGGEST SETBACK

According to Prof Kamar, the oversight role of the senate has been the biggest setback in the devolved governance since the inception of new system.

“I believe we need senators who will refocus so that we do oversight properly. It is not right for senators to only wait for impeachment motions to come to the House,” she said.

She urged senators and governors to work together instead of engaging in political fist fights.

Born on April 28, 1959, Margaret Jepkoech Kamar served as a nominated member of the East African Legislative Assembly between 2001 and 2006.

According to Prof Kamar, she has been practicing consultancy after losing in 2013.

“I have been doing consultancy work with the Council of Governors, County governments and the Senate. I understand issues touching on devolution and I believe that with my experience in the senate I will bring a lot of transformations in this country,” said Prof Kamar.

NEVER ENOUGH

Prof Kamar said that the current monetary allocations to county governments is not enough to ensure the effective running of the devolved units.

“We all understand that money is never enough but when it comes to devolution, we need the ratio of funds channelled to county governments to be increased,” she argues.

“Even as these funds trickle down to the grassroots, we need to ensure that they are well utilised and not misappropriated by a few selfish individuals,” she added.
She also practices mixed farming on her 1,600-acre farm along the Eldoret-Iten-Chepkanga Road.

Prof Kamar says that farming has helped her to greatly cope with life outside politics.

“I got a First Class degree in agriculture, I have a masters in the same and a doctorate in soil science. Politics and lecturing have been hindering me from dedicating time to what I learnt, but I thank the electorate for the five-year break they gave me because I have been having real good time producing food,” said Prof Kamar.

She has asked her competitors who are dissatisfied with the results in the Jubilee Party primaries to go ahead and lodge complaints with the party tribunal.

“All I can say is that I won squarely and fairly but since democracy is what we all have as a country, everyone who feels dissatisfied has the right to appeal,” she said.

As the country goes into a General Election, Prof Kamar has urged residents of Uasin Gishu and Kenyans as a whole to embrace peace and desist from chaos.

“We have come a long way as a country and I just want to tell my fellow Kenyans that elections come and go. Let us embrace peace instead of resorting to violence,” said Prof Kamar.