Nandi County takes cake for voting in young leaders

 

Former Nandi County Senator and now the new governor in the region Stephen Sang on 25.04.2017. PHOTO BY PETER OCHIENG/STANDARD.

Nandi is enjoying a new identity as the county that made a deliberate decision to vote in some of the youngest leaders in last week's General Election.

Governor-elect Stephen arap Sang, 32, is the youngest governor in the country, while Senator-elect Kiprotich Cherargey, 30, will also be the youngest representative in the Senate.

Residents also voted in several Members of the County Assembly who are in their 20s, such as Kilibwoni ward representative Cynthia Suge, 24, who becomes the youngest MCA in the country.

The newly-elected governor was only 28 when he joined the Senate in 2013 - again as the youngest elected member of the House.

"The age factor is a non-issue; I believe the people of Nandi believed in our agenda-oriented manifestos and our intentions to change the county for the better," said Mr Sang.

Senate committee

He served on the Senate Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee and also on the House Speaker's Panel.

Sang is credited with sponsoring a number of practical bills, including the controversial County Development Boards Bill that was greatly opposed by governors.

He has been a fierce critic of outgoing Governor Cleophas Lagat's administration and made several public allegations of corruption.

Mr Cherargey, popularly known as Mtetezi, led numerous street protests against Mr Lagat's administration, accusing him of graft and under-performance. He also wrote several petitions to the courts and the Senate.

"Nandi residents elected me because of my track record of defending them and their rights even when I was not in office," said Cherargey.

And Ms Suge became an overnight celebrity after flooring Jubilee Party candidate Emmanuel Kipchumba.

[Rael Jelimo]