Daggers drawn in Rift as rivals stick on for governor races

The battle for the governors seats in Rift Valley is now set for Jubilee Party candidates against losers in the party primaries who are now independents.

Besides, Kanu and Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM) have also fielded candidates in a bid to steal a share of the region from the ruling party.

Bomet, Narok, Nakuru, Samburu, Uasin Gishu, West Pokot and Turkana counties promise to be the battlegrounds for the governor seats, as political heavyweights fight it out during the August General Election. Although the Rift Valley region is perceived as a Jubilee stronghold, the party’s ticket bearers in the five counties will not have it easy.

In Nakuru, the governorship contest is between political arch-rivals, Governor Kinuthia Mbugua and former MP Lee Kinyanjui.

After losing in the JP primaries to Mr Kinyanjui, Governor Mbugua has decided to defend his seat as an independent candidate.

Besides Mbugua and Kinyanjui, the contest has also attracted Dr Peter Koros of CCM, Nakuru Senator James Mungai and Kanu’s Paul Njoroge - a Jubilee nominated senator who crossed over to the independence party.

Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri and his Nakuru Town West counterpart Samuel Arama have publicly criticised Governor Mbugua, saying residents spoke loudly when they rejected him at the primaries.

“The voters spoke out loudly that they want change in Nakuru leadership. It is better if you quit respectfully and support the winner for the good of our county,” says Ngunjiri.

Arama, who strongly campaigned for Mbugua during the primaries, urges him to respect the decision of the electorate.

“I was at the forefront spearheading Mbugua’s re-election campaign, but since the people voted against him I am ready to support the candidate they chose to succeed him,” says Arama.

A run for his money

In Bomet County, the fight is between incumbent Governor Isaac Ruto of CCM and Jubilee’s Joyce Laboso. Ruto will be banking on his recent move to the National Super Alliance (NASA) as a co-principal and his popularity in the region.

However, Laboso, who is the National Assembly Deputy Speaker, is giving Ruto a run for his money because of Jubilee’s growing popularity in the region and the fact that the Kipsigis community feel closer to power with Deputy President William Ruto being President Uhuru Kenyatta’s running mate.

In Narok County, the Jubilee ticket bearer – Governor Samuel ole Tunai – will not be breathing easy either. After his direct nomination due to lack of an opponent in the party primaries, Mr Tunai will now face his traditional opponents Joseph Tiampati of ODM and Patrick Ntutu who has since joined CCM.

Mr Tiampati and Ntutu also received direct nominations from their respective political parties.

As has been in past elections, clan politics is likely to play a central role in the race for the Narok governorship. The populous Maasai Purko clan, which has openly rebelled against Tunai, accusing him of sidelining them in key appointments and decision-making at the county, graft and nepotism, is yet to decide who to support between Tiampati and Ntutu – both are from the clan.

Tunai hails from the Siria clan of Transmara, but he will cherish to face the two at the ballot and divide the over 120,000 Purko votes to enable him recapture the seat.

In Baringo, where incumbent Benjamin Cheboi lost in the JP primaries to Stanley Kiptis, the fight will be between Jubilee and Kanu. Kanu’s Isaac Chebon got the ticket without going through the nominations as he was the sole aspirant for the ticket.

In Samburu, incumbent Moses Lenolkulal will face off with former Teachers Service Commission boss Gabriel Lengoiboni. It was initially expected that Governor Lenolkulal would have an easy ride back to the office. However, matters have been complicated by Mr Lengoiboni’s decision to run for the seat.

Mr Lengoiboni, a former Maralal High School head teacher, will be vying on a Kanu ticket and has already received the blessings of the party’s top leadership, including chairman Gideon Moi.

Lenolkulal will be banking on his association with the party’s top leadership, including President Kenyatta and DP Ruto, to be re-elected. However, it will not be an easy ride for him, considering the fact that the county is largely an Opposition zone.

The battle for West Pokot governor’s seat will also be between JP and Kanu. Senator John Lonyangapuo of Kanu is set to square it out with Governor Simon Kachapin after the latter beat his arch-rival Geoffrey Lipale in Jubilee primaries.

Kanu zone?

Kachapin enjoys the support of DP Ruto, who has toured the county more than 30 times to drum up support for the governor. But Lonyangapuo accuses Ruto of interfering in the county’s politics. “This is a Kanu zone and it doesn’t matter how frequently the Deputy President visits. It will not change the stand of the county. I will make sure I win this seat,” says Lonyangapuo.

Another mouth-watering contest will be in Uasin Gishu County where incumbent Jackson Mandago is set to square it out with billionaire businessman Kiprop Bundotich popularly known as Buzeki in a near-repeat of the JP primaries.

Buzeki is back as an independent candidate after he disputed the outcome of the nominations.

Debate among the supporters of the two aspirants has on several occasions turned chaotic, marked by pelting each other with stones and tearing up of campaign materials.

In Turkana, the bitter rivalry between Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok and Senator John Munyes will play out when the two go head to head in the coming elections. Nanok has the ODM certificate while Munyes is the Jubilee nominee.

Nanok and Munyes were issued with direct tickets by their parties, setting the stage for a pulsating contest between the two Turkana political giants in August.