Battle for Purko clan vote as Narok governor race hots up

The Narok governor contest is a battle of titans as Maasai clansmen face off in the two-horse race ahead of the August 9 polls.

It’s a battle within the populous Purko clan, between the current Narok North MP Moitalel ole Kenta (ODM) and former Labour Chief Administrative Secretary Patrick Ntutu (UDA).

While Mr Kenta is making his debut in the governorship race, his political nemesis, Mr Ntutu, will be making his second stab at the county’s top seat after coming second in the 2017 polls won by Governor Samuel Tunai.

The determinants of this year’s Narok polls, as has always been, will be clan and ethnic inclinations as well as local burning issues, including management of revenue from the world-famous Maasai Mara Game Reserve.

Despite being a matter that should have fizzled out of the county’s political scene after the November 1, 2019 eviction of over 35,000 illegal settlers, the Maasai Mau forest issue is also expected to shape the race for governor.

Running mate choice

The running mate choice will also play a key role in deciding who becomes the second county chief.

The race will also be shaped by the contest between two top presidential candidates: Mr Raila Odinga of Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party and Deputy President William Ruto, leader of the Kenya Kwanza Alliance.

The incumbent, Governor Tunai, is vying for the county’s senatorial seat on a UDA ticket.

The battle will be a sure win for the Purko clan that has now lost twice to Mr Tunai who hails from the minority Siria clan from Transmara.

Minority tribes

Since 2013, the Ilpurko clan has unsuccessfully attempted to reclaim the county’s leadership but Mr Tunai teamed up with the Kipsigis, the second most populous community, other minority tribes and clans to beat his rivals.

In the 2017 election,Mr Ntutu faced off with Jubilee’s Tunai and came second with 93,628 votes.

He ran on former Bomet governor Isaac Ruto’s Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM). Mr Tunai garnered 146,660 votes.

Former ICT Principal Secretary Joseph Musuni Tiampati, also from Purko clan, came a distant third with 40,167 votes.

The political tussle between the two has taken the angle of a ‘Maasai leadership revolution’ (Kenta) versus ‘team inclusivity’ (Ntutu).

Last month, both candidates named their deputies, with Mr Ntutu being the first to unveil his on May 9, picking a 30-year-old engineer, Mr Matthew Kirui, from the Kipsigis community.

Nine days later, Mr Kenta unveiled Mr William Semeiyoi, a seasoned banker from Uasin Gishu clan from Transmara West, as his running mate.

Redeem lost glory

Mr Kenta pledged his administration’s accountability, saying, they would redeem the lost glory of the tourism and agriculture-rich county.

The ODM candidate has been on record rubbishing claims that he was a tribalist by picking a fellow Maasai as deputy, saying, his choice was to ensure that the Maasai community takes the county’s top positions.

“The fact that I’ve picked a man from one of the Maasai clans does not mean that I hate any community. I want to ensure that the natives remain in the county’s top leadership. If one picks from another community and God forbid the governor dies then the leadership will slip away from us,” Mr Kenta said.

He said other communities living in the county will be given their fair share of positions in his administration.

By picking a Kipsigis for a running mate, Mr Ntutu seems to have killed two birds with one stone: satisfying the youth as well as minority groups. While unveiling Mr Kirui, Mr Ntutu said he chose him to showcase his commitment to the county’s youth.

“We had a professional panel of experts that was interviewing those who had applied for the position. The process was transparent, diligent and objective and they picked Eng Kirui,” Mr Ntutu said. “I want to assure the youth I’ll always have them in my plans and vision and promise never to let them down.”

Youth and minority groups

Mr Kirui vowed to champion the interests of the youth and other minority groups.

Mr Semeiyoi promised to use his experience to turn around the county's economy.

He previously worked at Prime Bank Limited, National Bank and as a chief officer in the first term of Devolution.

Mr Ntutu has vowed to continue with Mr Tunai’s legacy of uniting all the communities living in the county and spurring growth in various sectors.

The UDA candidate has also pledged to come up with a Ward Development Fund in which each of the ward reps will get Sh100 million a year to enable them initiate priority projects at the grassroots level in line with Kenya Kwanza’s ‘bottom-up’ economic model.

He has also pledged to establish value-addition factories for agricultural products such as wheat, maize, beef and potatoes to boost farmers’ incomes.

Maasai Mara revenue

His rival Kenta has promised to ensure accountability of the revenue from Maasai Mara Game Reserve and also pledged to create a nature park in the recently-rehabilitated Maasai Mau forest.

Recently, Mr Kenta led local leaders and elders in rallying against the extension of Mara Triangle lease with a private firm, Mara Conservancy, terming it a community treasure.

In his manifesto, Mr Kenta said he will seek partners to invest in the county’s untapped industrial sector.

He also promised to take care of the gender issue by ensuring that his Cabinet comprises 50 per cent women.

Tribal politics will also determine who becomes the next governor, with the focus on the Maasai and Kipsigis communities, as the candidates battle for the 400,000 registered voters.

The Maasai vote, which is about 250,000, will be the battleground for the two candidates, with Mr Kenta seen to be having a huge chunk of the Maasai vote while Mr Ntutu seems to be commanding support from the Kipsigis.

Tackling thorny issues

Dr Patu Naikumi, a local scholar and political commentator says the two candidates stand a chance of winning depending on how they tackle the county’s thorny issues.

“For Mr Kenta, he has an edge among the Maasai for championing Maasai Mau forest conservation. He also hails from the Irmakesen sub-clan, which is populous and has since got endorsement from Keekonyokie, Moitanik and Uasin Gishu clans,” Dr Naikumi said.

He said Mr Ntutu also stands a chance over Mr Kenta considering that he comes from the influential family of Paramount Chief Lerionka ole Ntutu (1932-2016), with backing from the Kipsigis community.

‘Inclusive and tolerant’

He also argues that Mr Ntutu enjoys the support of Governor Tunai.

“Mr Ntutu is also seen as inclusive and tolerant by non-Maasai communities,” Dr Naikumi said.

According to the IEBC 2017 data, the Kipsigis were around 85,000 registered voters, a number now estimated to be over 100,000.

The Kipsigis are predominantly in Emurua Dikirr constituency, and are spread out in 10 out of the 30 wards in the county, in Narok West, Narok South and parts of Kilgoris.

In 2013, Governor Tunai picked Ms Evalyn Aruasa from the Kipsigis community as his running mate and they both went ahead to win in the 2017 elections.

Mr Ntutu, who was in 2017 the Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM) candidate, lost to Mr Tunai.

Mr Ntutu had picked Mr Weldon Rop, a Kipsigis, as his running mate.

Fast forward to this year, the two top gubernatorial aspirants will be fighting to woo the Kipsigis, who normally vote as a bloc, to their side. Only time will tell who the victor will be.

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