Pokot and Ilchamus keep off Baringo Speaker race on lack of votes
Representatives of the Ilchamus community addressing journalists during a past briefing. None of their members has come forward to canvass for the Baringo county Speakerseat, even as the majority Tugen dominate leadership positions.
What you need to know:
- None of their members has come forward to canvass for the seat, even as the majority Tugen dominate leadership positions in the county.
- It’s a concern that has existed since the advent of devolution in 2013, with all the top elective seats—governor, senator and woman representative—taken by the Tugen.
- The Ilchamus and Pokot say they didn’t bother to field a candidate for Speaker because the numbers don’t favour them and it would be futile to even try.
As lobbying for the Baringo county assembly Speaker seat gathers pace, members of the Pokot and Ilchamus communities will be facing yet another disappointing electoral season with none of their own clinching any top leadership position in the devolved unit.
To make matters worse, none of their members has come forward to canvass for the seat, even as the majority Tugen dominate leadership positions in the county.
It’s a concern that has existed since the advent of devolution in 2013, with all the top elective seats—governor, senator and woman representative—taken by the Tugen.
The Ilchamus and Pokot say they didn’t bother to field a candidate for Speaker because the numbers don’t favour them and it would be futile to even try.
“Due to their numbers, the Tugen win even the small seats that should ideally be reserved for people from the minority communities, who have been pushed to the periphery and reduced to spectators in the county’s politics,” Tirioko MCA Sam Lourien told the Nation.
He called for talks on how best to include minority communities in the county leadership.
His sentiments were echoed by Mr Amos Olempaka, who said that, for minority groups to share in the county government cake, the Speaker’s seat should be allocated to them.
“Election is all about numbers, which the Ilchamus don’t have,” Mr Olempaka said, adding that the issue would be resolved if the Ilchamus had a constituency of their own. The Ilchamus in Baringo South are now pushing for “negotiated democracy”, where the Speaker’s seat will be reserved for them.
This, after a parliamentary candidate they fielded in the August 9 General Election lost to a Tugen rival, perpetuating a trend that has prevailed for years.
Those who have expressed interest in the seat from the populous Tugen community include Mr Joseph Tarus, an advocate of the High Court, who unsuccessfully vied for the Baringo South parliamentary seat last month, Mr Vincent Kemboi, a Nairobi-based lawyer, Mr Noah Chepkech from Mogotio constituency, and Ms Emily Kiptui, a former health worker who also unsuccessfully vied for Baringo Central parliamentary seat.
Others eyeing the seat are former assembly clerk Richard Koech who was a running mate to former Baringo Governor Stanley Kiptis, Ms Naomi Kirui, an advocate of the High Court and Mr John Boiwo, who was floored in the Baringo Central parliamentary race while vying on a Kanu ticket.
“We’re negotiating with the Tugen MCAs so that we can support their candidate for the Speaker seat and they let us have the deputy position,” he said.
The Tugen have 19 elected MCAs while the Pokot have seven and the Ilchamus two.
