MP David Pkosing named Pokot community spokesperson

Pokot South MP David Pkosing during the ceremony.

Before sunrise on Sunday, elders gathered at Longorok in Pokot North Sub-County for a rare traditional ceremony that placed Pokot South MP David Pkosing at the centre of a significant cultural and political moment.

Known as Alem, the ceremony saw Mr Pkosing dressed in traditional regalia and presented with symbolic instruments associated with leadership, including a spear, a pen and a leopard skin.

The elders who presided over the ceremony declared him the Pokot spokesman and kingpin, entrusting him with the responsibility of representing, protecting and championing the interests of the community.

But while the ceremony was presented primarily as a cultural rite, its timing has inevitably given it a political dimension.

Mr Pkosing is seeking to become West Pokot governor in the 2027 General Election, meaning the public installation comes at a time when political alignments and succession debates are already beginning to take shape in the county.

The elders, however, insist that Alem should not be reduced to a political endorsement.

They describe it as an important traditional process through which authority is bestowed on an individual considered capable of carrying the community's interests and providing leadership.

During the ceremony, a bull was slaughtered and its meat shared among those present, while elders performed rituals intended to signify the transfer of authority.

John Pedoo Loinit, one of the elders who participated in the ceremony, said the event was particularly significant because, according to the elders, no Pokot leader had undergone a similar coronation since the death of former Cabinet minister and prominent Pokot leader Francis Lotodo.

“The elders requested to crown Pkosing as the Pokot leader because they have been lacking a leader after the death of Lotodo, and he accepted,” Mr Loinit said.

He said the pen given to Mr Pkosing represented his responsibility to write and speak about matters affecting the Pokot community.

Other rituals carried their own symbolism.

The elders applied saliva to the pen before presenting it to Mr Pkosing and dressed him in leopard skin, which they said represented courage and authority.

“The elders spat saliva on the pen, dressed him in leopard skin to show that he is a kingpin and to symbolise that he is now installed as the king,” Mr Loinit said.

The elders also urged Mr Pkosing to demonstrate courage, listen to the people and work for their interests.

They said his responsibilities included promoting peace and protecting the community, particularly in relation to security and relations with neighbouring communities.

Paulo Lemarus, another elder, said the decision followed consultations among leaders and should be respected as a traditional decision.

“Pkosing will now become their leader going forward, and no one can reverse the decision made by the elders,” he said.

The MP, however, framed his elevation more broadly, describing it as a responsibility to the entire Pokot community rather than simply an endorsement of his gubernatorial campaign.

Speaking after the ceremony, Mr Pkosing thanked the elders for what he described as an unprecedented blessing.

“I have never been given the instruments of power since I was born. I thank them for blessing me. The late Lotodo is my political saint. He inspires me to protect the Pokot interests and defend the Pokot kingdom,” he said.

He pledged to champion the community's rights and pursue development in areas including education, employment, security and boundary-related matters.

For now, the Alem ceremony has given Mr Pkosing a new traditional identity and a wider platform from which to pursue his political ambitions, while placing the Pokot community's expectations of leadership, unity, security and peaceful coexistence firmly at the centre of his 2027 campaign.