Baringo Senator William Cheptumo.
William Kipkorir Cheptumo, the senator who died on Saturday night aged 57, will be remembered for driving the last nail in the coffin of the late President Daniel arap Moi family’s long-standing political hegemony in Baringo County.
Fresh from three terms as Baringo North MP, the man from the hills of Bartabwa handed the incumbent, Gideon Moi, a resounding political beating in the August 9, 2022, senatorial contest, almost doubling the latter’s votes.
The soft-spoken but no-nonsense political stalwart garnered 141,777 votes against Moi’s 71,408 and in the process ending the Moi family’s tight political grip on the county.
So emphatic was the victory that it is reported that the Azimio coalition principal has yet to publicly concede defeat.
Away from politics, however, the 57-year-old is known for his unwavering commitment to solving insecurity in the volatile county, and the larger North Rift, a region plagued by perennial banditry and cattle rustling menace.
His dedication to addressing the twin issues saw him easily clinch the Senate National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations Committee chairperson position.
Upon taking the reins of the committee in 2022, Mr Cheptumo said that insecurity was a major challenge in many parts of the country and that the committee would work tirelessly to ensure the menace is addressed urgently.
Cattle rustling
“We have cases of serious challenges to security in various parts of the country, it is our responsibility as a committee to liaise with the government and security organs to look into ways of ensuring the safety of all citizens,” said Cheptumo then.
He would use the position to advocate to have cattle rustling declared a national disaster and in January 2024, the lawmaker would adopt a young girl orphaned by banditry attacks in his county.
Before his death, the Senator had been fighting for compensation for victims of banditry.
In 2016, he moved a motion in the National Assembly 2016 seeking to have cattle rustling declared a national disaster.
He sought in his motion, to have Parliament establish a special fund to compensate all victims of cattle rustling and resettle all those internally displaced by the same across the North Rift, citing the “irreparable” socio-economic impact of the vice in the region.
“We need a permanent solution to the perennial problem and we call on leaders from the warring communities to hold peace meetings in a bid to find lasting peace,” he had said.
Even though the National Assembly adopted his motion, the government has yet to implement it to compensate the banditry victims, with the MP citing a lack of goodwill from the government.
Last year, the Senator reintroduced the same Bill in the Senate, pushing for the creation of a special fund to compensate victims of banditry and cattle rustling.
At peace meetings to address the perennial banditry activities across the North Rift Region, the Baringo Senator repeatedly appealed to the warring communities to give peace a chance, revealing that he too was a victim at his Tunoiwo village in Bartabwa, Baringo North, which has lagged in development because of insecurity.
Mr Cheptumo always championed for peaceful co-existence among various communities in the arid county to forestall further losses of lives due to ethnic conflicts.
Upon his declaration as the second Baringo senator, he declared that his task would be uniting the warring communities (Pokot, Illchamus, Tugen and Endorois) living in the vast county which has been conflicting for over three decades due to retrogressive cultural practices.
It is no wonder Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, while breaking the news of his demise, described the late senator as a dedicated leader who took his legislative responsibilities with unmatched zeal and selflessly articulated the interests of the people of Baringo and Kenya at large.
At the National Assembly between 2008 and 2022, he served in various committees and was the chairperson of the committee on Delegated Legislation; and later the departmental committee on Justice and Legal Affairs.
Hostile situations
Between 2008 and 2013, he also served as an assistant minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang’ remembered Senator Cheptumo as a soft-spoken leader who was firm on matters of principle.
“I served with Senator Cheptumo in the Senate Liaison Committee. He was soft-spoken but very firm on matters of principle,” said Mr Kajwang’.
“Owing to his long legislative career, he was always the voice of reason and he had many anecdotes that helped to defuse even the most hostile situations. The Senate and the people of Baringo have lost a sage.”
For his part, Kiambu Senator Karungo Thang’wa described his departed colleague as a man of logic and precision, who always delivered his points on the floor of the House with clarity and conviction.
“Beyond his sharp debating skills, he was a storyteller and a gracious host. I fondly remember his warm hospitality during our visit to Baringo, where he took us on a tour of the county,” said Mr Thang’wa.
“His passion and unwavering commitment to serving his people were evident in everything he did. Rest well, my colleague.”
Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu said Mr Cheptumo was a sober, mature and astute leader who was never sycophantic.
In one of his last social media posts, the senator wished former premier Raila Odinga all the best in the African Union Commission chairperson elections in glowing terms, saying the ODM leader is undoubtedly the most qualified candidate for the position.
“He (Raila) is a well-crafted democrat with a seasoned experience on matters of the African continent. His unrelenting Pan-African spirit presents him as a statesman with a bold African quest for a progressive Africa. His victory will be a win for Kenya and Africa at large,” he posted on February 14.
The later senator leaves behind impressive credentials packed with extensive experience in law and governance.
Legal practice
Between 1988 and 1991, he studied at the University of Nairobi where he attained a degree in Law before proceeding for a Diploma in Law in 1992 at the Kenya School of Law.
He would dabble in legal practice serving in different organisations as a legal officer before establishing his law firm, Cheptumo and Company Advocates in 1998.
He served as a legal officer at the Industrial and Commercial Development Corporation between 1993 and 1995 and later at the Central Bank of Kenya between 1995 and 1998.
Mr Cheptumo ran his legal firm from 1998 to 2007 when the political bug bit him joining ODM and using the party to contest the Baringo North seat.
Between 2008 and 2013, he had a stint in government serving as an assistant minister in the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
In the run-up to the 2013 elections, he would join William Ruto’s United Republican Party as part of the Jubilee Alliance. He would then join the United Democratic Party in 2022 to contest the senatorial seat.
Senator Cheptumo’s earlier education included studies at Kabarnet High School, Bartolimo Secondary School, and Maregut Primary School between 1975 and 1987.
