Raging rabble-rouser’s one stunt too far

For Prof John Lonyangapuo, the consequences of his spoken words do not matter.

So he comfortably speaks his mind and lets his words find whatever place to rest. If they happen to find those who maintain law and order, or if they turn the stomachs of his opponents, so be it.

HANDCUFFED

For the first professor from the remote Pokotland cares less about what other humans feel about what he does or says.

Last week, however, the governor seemed to have bitten a little more than he could chew.

UNPUNISHED

When he stormed a roadblock on the Kapenguria-Lodwar highway and forcibly freed a boda-boda rider who had been handcuffed to his motorbike for allegedly breaking traffic rules, it initially appeared like one of those daring antics associated with him and that normally go unpunished. That was the case until his security officers were abruptly withdrawn.

UNIMAGINED

As word spread and emotions rose following the withdrawal, something hitherto unimagined was forming: Rumours started spreading fast that the governor was being sought and would be arrested for causing trouble.

WHEREABOUTS

There was no confirmation and the police avoided responding to inquiries.

The uncertainty remained the whole of last weekend. But what was certain was that the governor was nowhere to be seen. His whereabouts were not known, fuelling all sorts of theories on social media.

REAPPEARED

Some had it that he had run away to Uganda, while some said he had gone to hide in his rural home in Kacheliba. The situation remained unclear until Monday, when his lawyer filed and obtained orders barring his arrest and seeking the restoration of his bodyguards at the Kitale High Court.

Once the orders were obtained, the professor suddenly reappeared, his courage and wit restored. His mojo resurrected.

QUESTIONS

So where had he been?

In Makutano, the town where he likes addressing residents, no one asked that question. But not one to wait for questions, the professor, who was once identified as the best-performing senator in the last Parliament, was not going to ignore it. So he said he had gone to look after his cows and goats in a village near the Ugandan border.

UNBOTHERED

And those who had gathered to welcome him were too unbothered to raise doubts. They cheered.

Makutano, the de facto headquarters of West Pokot County, is where the governor has always derived his energy and courage. Although Kapenguria hosts the county’s offices, Makutano is where West Pokot politics is brewed and served. The two towns are next to each other but the latter has long overshadowed the former owing to its vibrancy.

IRONICAL

On Monday evening, the governor rushed to the town to pay homage to locals and show everyone he was still in charge even after temporarily disappearing over the weekend when he was being sought.

He said he was not desperate for government security, claiming residents were ready to guard him. Soon, he was asking the same government to respect court orders and restore security officers. That was a little ironical but the governor is not one to care much.

DEPUTY

Lonyangapuo’s governorship has not been without trouble.

The latest incident occurred less than two months after he was questioned by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission over the whereabouts of his deputy, Dr Nicholas Atudonyang, who, despite earning a monthly salary, had not been seen in the county.

COMMISSION

Appearing before the commission in Eldoret, the governor, in his characteristic fashion, was ready with answers, saying he had sent the deputy to get a medical consignment from the United States. Why it had taken months, if not years, for him to get the equipment and come back, was left to the commission to guess.

FOUL MOOD

Once he was done with the anti-graft detectives, the governor, who was evidently in a foul mood, rushed to Makutano, where he expressed his readiness to take on whoever was ready to face him. He accused those asking for action to be taken against him for the absentee deputy of being used by his opponents to derail him.

SIMPLICITY

Even as his troubles with the law grows, he remains popular at home. His simplicity and ability to connect with the common Pokot has long been one of his powerful weapons. The don used it well to clinch the governor’s seat in the last election despite facing a well-oiled Jubilee Party juggernaut. He trounced the ruling party’s incumbent Governor Simon Kachapin to become Kanu’s only county boss.

RELATIONSHIP

His connection to Kanu goes beyond elections, as he has a long-running close relationship with former President Moi’s family. He is currently the chairman of Kabarak University Council, owned by the former first family.

ELEVATED

Before joining politics, he served as principal of Chepkoilel, a former Moi University satellite campus that was later elevated and renamed the University of Eldoret. He also served in President Kibaki’s grand coalition government as permanent secretary for public works.

TYPICAL

He could easily pass as a rabble-rouser for most Kenyans, but for those he leads, he is just the typical Pokot man: brave, daring and ready to fight.