Why ACK archbishop wants Narok governor, Senate petitions withdrawn

Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit

ACK Archbishop Jackson ole Sapit (center)with Maasai Council of Elders Chairman Mr Kelena ole Nchoe(right)and Narok Pastors Fellowship Association Chairman Bishop Peter Nakola addressing Journalists at African Hope Center in the outskirts of Narok town on November 10, 2022. Archbishop Sapit wants election losers to drop their court cases for the sake of county's unity.


Photo credit: Robert Kiplagat | Nation Media Group

Elders and clerics from the Maasai community have asked former governor candidate Moitalel ole Kenta (ODM) to withdraw a petition challenging Patrick Ntutu’s win in the August 9 polls.

The team, led by ACK Archbishop Jackson ole Sapit, who hails from the county, also wants former governor Samuel Tunai to withdraw his case against area Senator Ledama ole Kina for the sake of the county’s unity and development.

Addressing journalists after day-long deliberations with the Maasai council of elders, the Maa Unity Forum and bishops from various churches, Archbishop Sapit said the community had more pressing issues to tackle than protracted court battles between leaders.

“Elections and campaigns are now behind us. We have since realised that politics divided the Narok community and now we do not want the court cases to divide us further. All we want now is a united, cohesive community,” Archbishop Sapit said.

He asked Mr Kenta and Mr Tunai to shelve their personal interests for the sake of the county's unity.

He said: “We plead to those who might have felt that their victories were ‘stolen’ to be patriotic enough and withdraw those cases from the court so that we can craft a new chapter of reconciliation as the Maa community.”

Archbishop Sapit also disclosed that the team will reach out to the petitioners to persuade them to drop the cases and instead support the elected leaders to deliver development to residents.

Governor Ntutu beat Mr Kenta, a former Narok North MP, by a slim margin of 158,100 votes against 148,270, prompting the latter to move to court.

Mr Kenta’s seven-day petition hearing is set to kick off on Monday, with both politicians lining up senior lawyers as a legal battle looms.

Mr Kenta is represented by, among others, Prof Tom Ojienda (who is also the Kisumu senator), while Mr Ntutu’s lead lawyer is Senior Counsel Kioko Kilukumi.

On the other side, the hearing of Mr Tunai's petition against Senator Ole Kina was completed last week and a judgment is awaited.

Mr Ole Kina won another term by trouncing Mr Tunai with 135,180 votes against the latter’s 117,869.