UDA faces litmus test as small parties plan by-election upset
Former Marakwet West MP William Kisang addresses journalists after IEBC cleared him to run in the January by-election. Kisang clinched the UDA party ticket after garnering 28,136 votes.
President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party is facing an acid test in its quest to retain the Elgeyo Marakwet Senate seat in the upcoming by-election. The seat fell vacant following the appointment of Mr Kipchumba Murkomen to the Cabinet.
After a rigorous party nomination exercise that attracted 21 aspirants, two disgruntled candidates, Mr Tim Kipchumba and Ms Jerotich Seii jumped ship and joined the Party of Peace and Development (PPD) and Safina Party respectively to contest the January 5 Senate by-election.
Former Marakwet West MP William Kisang clinched the UDA party ticket after garnering 28,136 votes against Mr Kipchumba’s 26,766 votes and Ms Seii’s 8, 540 votes. The two, however, rejected the results, terming the election shambolic.
Others who sought the UDA ticket but lost have since pledged their support for Mr Kisang and are campaigning for the ruling party’s candidate.
Apart from the three, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) also cleared Mr Timothy Tanui (The New Democrats), lawyer Andrew Mengich (independent) and 27-year-old statistician Kelvin Kemboi (independent) to contest.
UDA enjoys near fanatical support in the region — locals voted almost to a man in favour of Dr Ruto in the presidential election.
UDA campaigns
Local leaders have vowed to ensure a resounding win for Mr Kisang in gratitude to President Ruto for appointing Mr Murkomen as well as National Treasury Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo to the government. Governor Wisley Rotich is leading campaigns to ensure the UDA candidate clinches the seat.
“As a county, electing Mr Kisang will be a sign of gratitude to President Ruto and of the trust, we have in UDA. Mr Kisang is an experienced leader with a solid agenda for the county. We will not disgrace the party but elect its preferred candidate in January,” he said at Kapsowar.
The governor has been traversing the county drumming up support for Mr Kisang and reminding voters that the Kenya Kwanza Alliance, the coalition Dr Ruto used to propel himself to power, needs numbers to retain its majority status in the Senate.
Interestingly, Marakwet West MP Timothy Toroitich (independent) who trounced Mr Kisang in the August General Election, has been also campaigning for his erstwhile political opponent.
“As soon as I won, I shook hands with President Ruto and pledged to support his efforts to achieve his development goals. Just before he left for the US, he called me to State House with instructions and asked for my help to help deliver the Senate seat to UDA and I am here asking for the election of Mr Kisang,” he said at Iten on Sunday.
Mr Toroitich said Mr Kisang had proved to have a superior manifesto when compared to his rivals. Mr Kisang accused his opponents of being opposition sympathisers. Mr Kipchumba and Ms Seii have rejected this narrative, saying, their support for the Head of State was absolute.
They urged voters to ignore those claiming they would derail the government’s agenda in the Senate if elected.
