Jubilee defeat in by-election sparks off battle for South Rift

The People’s Patriotic Party of Kenya’s (PPPK) Andrew Maritim’s win in a ward by-election in Bomet has sent Jubilee back to the drawing board.

Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto campaigned for Maritim and the battle for Nyangores Ward seat had been billed as a contest between the Governor and the Jubilee leadership.

The PPPK win has also generated huge excitement among supporters of the Kanu candidate in the Kericho Senate by-election Paul Sang, who is being backed by Governor Ruto and Kanu chairman who is also Baringo Senator Gideon Moi. The Kericho electorate are now bracing for another epic duel between Kanu and Jubilee.

In Friday’s by-election, Governor Ruto’s candidate garnered 4,998 votes to trounce Jubilee’s Richard Leitich who got 3,029 votes.

Bernard Terer of Citizen Convention Party scored a paltry 51 votes.

The seat fell vacant following the death of Cecilia Towett in a road accident along Narok-Mai Mahiu road.

The victory over Jubilee is a game changer in the contest for vote-rich South Rift as Kanu moves to consolidate its support ahead of March 7 Kericho Senate by-election.

Other leaders who campaigned for PPPK candidate were Zipporah Kittony (nominated Senator), West Pokot Senator John Lonyangapuo, Kanu secretary general Nick Salat, Emurua Dikirr MP Johana Ngeno and Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter.

Of no value

Jubilee campaigns were led Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Joyce Laboso, Senators Stephen Sang, Wilfred Lessan, Lizah Chelule, MPs Paul Bii, Moses Cheboi, Sammy Koech, Bernard Bett, Ferdinand Waititu, Rachel Shebesh, Cecily Mbarire, Cecilia Ngetich and Soipan Tuiya.

Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter also joined the campaign trail.

Governor Ruto galvanised the support of the locals urging them not to be boxed into a new political outfit without consultations.

Kanu and PPPK parties entered into a pact where the Ruto outfit was to field a candidate in the Nyangores Ward and the independence party in the upcoming Kericho Senatorial by-election.

The governor’s team claimed the Jubilee administration had sidelined the South Rift in allocation of resources, while Jubilee used the opportunity to discredit Governor Ruto for disrespecting the DP.

The Jubilee leaders even at some point started campaigning for Dr Laboso for the Bomet gubernatorial seat in the next General Election.

Song and dance broke out when the results were announced at Kyogong Secondary School tallying centre by Returning Officer Alice Cheruiyot.

Maritim in his acceptance speech said the results were a clear indication that the Kalenjin community had already been liberalised from the yoke of political euphoria and blindly following individuals.

“It is now clear that the Kipsigis and the entire Kalenjin community have opened a new political chapter and can decide on their own destiny without coercion,” he said.

Addressing supporters at Bomet green stadium, Ruto who was accompanied by Kuresoi South MP Zakayo Cheruiyot and former Kipkelion MP Magerer Lang’at commended Nyangores constituents for supporting PPPK supporters.

During the campaign trail Gideon said the outcome of the Nyangores by-election would be a clear pointer on the political direction the people of Rift Valley would take in the next General Election.

“The Nyangores and Kericho by-election was a rehearsal for the 2017 General Election. Our people would no longer be made to blindly support political causes that are not beneficial to them,” Gideon said at Kapkwen trading centre.

Gideon said Kanu and PPPK would work together ahead of the next General Election and other like minded leaders.

Before the results were announced JAP officials including the coordinator Mohamed Aden, secretary general Virginia Maina, executive officer Nixon Korir, Chepalungu MP and supporters who included local MCAs sneaked out of the tallying centre after realising that their candidate was losing.

The Kuresoi South MP said: “The time when the Kipsigis numerical strength was considered numbers of no value is gone and we are here to tell the rest of the world that we can decide our own political destiny.