Baringo governor aspirants to face off in TV debate
From Left: Kenya School of Government (KSG) Kabarnet Campus Director Solomon Letangule, Baringo Liberal Minds Forum Chairman Prof Chebutuk Rotich and Secretary Kangogo Morwess addressing journalists at KSG, Kabarnet.
All is set for Friday’s inaugural debate featuring seven aspirants eyeing the Baringo County governor’s seat.
They will participate in the live NTV event organised by Baringo professionals under the group Baringo Liberal Minds Forum in partnership with the Nation Media Group and ActionAid.
The TV face-off at the Kenya School of Government is seen as a test of who will be the best fit for the seat in the August 9 elections.
Six aspirants want to vie under the Deputy President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA), while one is contesting on a Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM) ticket.
Eyeing the UDA ticket are sitting Governor Stanley Kiptis, his predecessor Benjamin Cheboi, former principal secretary Fred Segor, Eldama Ravine MP Moses Lessonet, former Baringo County Assembly Clerk Richard Koech, Mr Robert Kiplagat and Mr Sialo Kimiring.
Organisers say the debate offers Baringo residents an opportunity to participate in vetting their leaders.
In the debate, the aspirants will be questioned on various issues by a panel of journalists and citizens.
The planning committee invited locals to send questions on key thematic areas, consistent with devolved functions and national government’s Big Four agenda.
Resource allocation
The questions will focus on governance, education, health, agriculture, promotion of peace, security and harmony, water and sanitation.
Other areas include trade and commerce, revenue collection and resource allocation, tourism and hospitality, ethics and integrity.
Citizens will also send questions during the debate in follow-up interrogations after the responses of the aspirants.
The debate will help residents identify the priorities of the aspirants and how they plan to solve the myriad challenges facing locals if they are elected.
Fruits of activism against gender-based violence: ActionAid Kenya Interim Executive Director, Susan Otieno (right) with Anastacia Plilan, harvest pawpaw fruits at Anastacia’s farm in Tangulbei, Baringo County.
ActionAid runs several empowerment programmes in the region.
Baringo professionals say the forum seeks to ensure that voters get efficient and competent leaders to occupy the county’s top office.
NMG Commercial Manager James Sogoti, speaking ahead of the event, said the media group plans to hold similar forums across the 47 counties to provide a platform for voters to vet the quality of their leaders in relation to the challenges they face as communities.
“One of the things that we are also saying is that the platform that we are coming up with is really to get the very best out of every leader,” he said.
“Thereafter, those guys can integrate their policies and ideas into a county document that will then spur development growth. That is what we are looking at, especially for Baringo.”
Come forward
The Baringo professionals, through their chairman Prof Chebutuk Rotich, said they champion good leadership that epitomises transparency, honesty and integrity.
“As the country gears up for the August 9 General Election, a number of aspirants have come forward in the county with the desire to vie for the governorship,” Prof Chebutuk said.
“It is paramount that we get a competent and efficient leader to occupy the office and we felt that the electorate should be accorded a platform where they can gauge the contenders.”
He added that Baringo needs a leader who has practical solutions to the perennial conflicts and droughts over the years, resulting in high poverty levels.
“We believe that an informed citizenry is essential to any democracy and through this debate, locals will have an opportunity to listen keenly to the key agendas and the manifestos of the gubernatorial aspirants under a controlled environment, and ask questions through a wide range of media platforms for clarification after they have made their responses from the set questions," he stated.
The debate, Prof Chebutuk said, seeks to achieve several objectives, including understanding the temperament of the aspirants, their plans for the county, competences and leadership skills.
With a majority of the contenders seeking a UDA ticket, the Baringo political battle is expected to be competitive. The front-runners in the race are the incumbent Governor Kiptis and his predecessor, Mr Cheboi.
Baringo County is perceived to be a UDA stronghold and political analysts in the region say that whoever wins the party nomination next month may clinch the seat in the General Election.
In the 2017, Mr Kiptis, a former Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) official defeated Mr Cheboi in the Jubilee primaries, garnering 137,668 votes. He proceeded to win against his sole rival for the seat, Isaac Chebon of Kanu.
