Deputy President William Ruto ( left) and Baringo Senator Gideon Moi
during the Kimalel Baringo County goat auction on December 20, 2014. The
Kericho Senate by-election has provided an opportunity for Mr Ruto and
Mr Gideon to lock horns in a political supremacy battle for the South
Rift. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
In Summary
- For years, former President Daniel arap Moi straddled the Rift Valley political scene like a colossus.
- When he retired from politics, Moi handed over the political mantle of his family to his son Gideon.
- The Kericho County Senate race has provided an opportunity for DP Ruto and Mr Moi to lock horns once again.
- Mr Ruto promised a bruising campaign and asked voters to support Jubilee as a way of appreciating the appointment of Mr Keter to the Cabinet.
The Kericho Senate by-election has reignited the rivalry between
Deputy President William Ruto and the Moi family represented by Baringo
Senator Gideon Moi.
For years,
former President Daniel arap Moi straddled the Rift Valley political
scene like a colossus, crushing any opposition from the region and
maintaining political control until 2002 when he retired from active
politics, eventually handing over the political mantle of the family to
his son Gideon.
However, the younger
Moi has constantly engaged in a political fight to win back control of
the vote-rich Rift Valley from DP Ruto, who took hold of the region
after President Moi’s exit and nearly phased out the once-powerful Kanu.
SOUTH RIFT POLITICS
Since
then, the independence party has been battling to regain foothold in
the Rift Valley, with Gideon Moi, the Baringo Senator, leading the
charge.
Both DP Ruto and Mr Moi have
announced bids for State House and the Kericho County Senate race has
provided an opportunity for them to lock horns once again and assess
their political influence especially in the South Rift where both have
fielded candidates from their parties.
Mr
Moi has the support of Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto, who has also broken
ranks with DP Ruto over what he said was the DP’s unilateral decision to
dissolve the United Republican Party (URP).
Kanu
has fielded former Health minister Paul Sang, who came second in the
Senate race in the 2013 General Election, after Charles Keter who has
since been appointed CS for Energy.
Mr
Moi, who was in Kericho last week to hand over the Kanu nomination
ticket to Mr Sang, said he will personally lead the campaigns for Mr
Sang.
“I am asking Kericho residents
to support our candidate. He is the right man for the job and Kanu is
confident of winning the seat,” he said.
Mr Nicholas Biwott’s Vision Party has also fielded former MP, Bishop Daniel Tanui.
The
Deputy President is fronting youthful Aaron Cheruiyot, a newcomer in
the political scene, through the Jubilee Alliance Party.
While
attending CS Keter’s homecoming ceremony at Kabianga Boys’ High School
in late December, DP Ruto vowed that Jubilee will pull out all stops in a
bid to ensure victory in the contest.
Mr
Ruto promised a bruising campaign and asked voters to support Jubilee
as a way of appreciating the appointment of Mr Keter to the Cabinet.
“We
want this seat to remain in Jubilee. Do not be misled by people into
voting for village parties instead of supporting a party with nationwide
reach like Jubilee. There is a lot to benefit by staying in
government,” Mr Ruto told Kericho voters.
Soon
after his nomination to the Cabinet, Mr Keter said Jubilee will do
everything in its power to retain the seat, adding that Kericho was “the
heartbeat” of JAP and would, therefore, not readily relinquish the
Senate position to any other political party.
ALLEGATIONS OF VOTER BRIBERY
However,
allegations of massive voter bribery and rigging in the JAP primaries
have rocked the party and left it nursing wounds, giving rise to
rebellion from within the party supporters.
Former
National Housing Corporation chairman Sammy Chepkwony, who came second
in the nomination, has demanded that the results of the primaries be
cancelled, and accused senior party officials of stealing victory from
him.
According to official results
released by the JAP secretariat, Mr Cheruiyot garnered 17,565 votes
while Mr Chepkwony got 17,081 votes.
But
in a letter to JAP Secretary-General Veronica Maina dated January 18,
Mr Chepkwony said the party ought to nullify it to salvage its image.
“We
hereby demand that it be declared that the said Aaron Cheruiyot was not
validly nominated. It is our hope that the party secretariat will act
on these pertinent concerns so as to redeem the image of the party,” it
read.
Kanu stands to be the biggest beneficiary of the fallout as aggrieved supporters of Jubilee vowed to back Mr Sang.
Kanu
has also received the backing of the two main teachers’ unions, who
have sworn to punish the Jubilee Government over what they perceive as
massive exploitation of teachers and failure to pay their September
salaries in time.
In a Facebook post,
Knut Secretary-General Wilson Sossion called on all teachers to support
Mr Sang and reach out to other voters with the same message.
“We
wish Hon Sang all the best as he commences his campaign for the vacant
Kericho seat. He stands out as a reliable, honest, truthful and
dependable Kipsigis leader,” wrote Mr Sossion.
Mr
Sang is himself a teacher by profession, having resigned from his post
as headteacher to run for the Bureti parliamentary seat in 1997 and won.
He held the position for two terms until 2007 when he was unseated by Former Roads Minister Franklin Bett.
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