How I ‘made’ Jackson Mandago Uasin Gishu governor- Eldoret tyre seller

By Peter Ochieng | 6yrs ago | 2 min read

**Josphat Kiema at work and Governor Jackson Mandago takes oath of office**

Josphat Kiema claims to be behind Nasa’s backing of Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago The hotly contested race saw Mandago beat businessman Bundotich Zedekiah Kiprop aka Buzeki

One of the hotly contested seats in the just-concluded elections was no doubt the gubernatorial position in Uasin Gishu.

Governor Jackson Mandago and his closest rival, businessman Bundotich Zedekiah Kiprop aka Buzeki, went head-to-head right from the party nominations till the General Election, with Mandago emerging the ultimate winner.

A small trader based in Eldoret is now claiming that the re-elected governor owes his victory to him after his idea of getting Nasa’s support worked in Mandago’s favour.

According to Josphat Kiema alias Katitu, he met with Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Kilonzi Junior, together with Kamba leaders at the Eldoret airstrip, where he pitched his idea which was well-received.

**Kiema with Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka Photo: Courtesy**

“Kalonzo and Wetang’ula listened to me and asked that we sell the idea to Nasa supporters, if supporting Mandago was the only way to get support from Kalenjins,” said the Masinga Boys old boy, adding that, the idea was shared with Hon Raila Odinga, local leaders, including ODM spokesman Kipkorir Menjo, former Eldoret South and Jesse Mais.

Daniel Ngovia, another Kamba businessman claimed Kiema was telling the truth and that he spoke in front of all Kambas in one of the rooms at the airstrip where they were meeting the Nasa co-principal.

“I was surprised when Kalonzo, Wetang’ula, Rutto and Mudavadi openly declared that Nasa was supporting Governor Mandago candidature, just as my brother Katitu had requested,” Ngovia said.

“Without me asking Nasa leaders, especially Kalonzo, to back Governor Mandago, Buzeki would have carried the day with a big margin,” Kiema told The Nairobian.

Kiema denied having been coached by Governor Mandago, whom he says had already lost support following some political rebels within the Jubilee Party in the region.

Governor Mandago beat Buzeki with 126,000 against at 86,000 in the Jubilee Party primaries and defeated him again during the elections 195,300 votes against Buzeki’s 146,030 votes.