Bomet Senator Christopher Langat, Wilson Sossion threaten to go independent

Bomet Senator Christopher Langat and Orange Democratic Movement nominated MP Wilson Sossion have threatened to  ditch United Democratic Alliance and run as independent candidates in the August, 9, General Election.

Dr Langat and Mr Sossion, who lost in the UDA primaries to Nairobi lawyer Hillary Sigei for the Bomet senate seat said that they did not have confidence in the nomination process.

Me Sigei garnered 77,500 votes, Mr Langat got 65,006 votes while Mr Sossion got 45,371 votes.

“I am waiting for the party to declare me the winner in the senatorial nomination. Anything short of that means the election process has just started,” said Dr Langat, who is serving his first term in office. He beat Prof Wilfred Lessan in the 2017 polls.

He said the UDA party had mismanaged the nomination process. He said that this would cost the party dearly in the August 9 General Election.

UDA nomination process

“I do not have confidence in the UDA nomination process and I am not going to kneel before the party leadership that has imposed their business partners on the people,” said Mr Sossion.

In a joint press conference in Bomet town on Friday, the two leaders claimed that the nomination process was skewed in favour of Mr Sigei.

“We want to assure our supporters that we will work together and ensure they have an alternative candidate in the August 9 polls,” they said.

They claimed to have looked for the County Returning Officer Ronald Mutai to table their grievances ahead of the nomination exercise a few hours before the exercise started.

“The nomination process is already cooked. In any process of standard democracy and party primaries worldwide, elections must be free, fair and credible. But when I get pre-marked ballot papers in favour of my opponent, how do you expect me to accept the results?” Mr Sossion said.

Mr Sossion, a former Kenya National Union of Teachers secretary-general, decamped from ODM to UDA in November last year.  

At the time, Mr Sossion said Deputy President William Ruto was best placed to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta as the fifth President in a race that will pit him against ODM party leader Raila Odinga.

But the nomination process appears to have been a baptism by fire for Mr Sossion who now sees UDA as a party consisting of leaders with a tainted image who are out to pick install their henchmen in positions against the people’s wishes.

“The people will have their say in the next General Election and we have directed our chief agents neither to accept nor sign the results of a fraudulent exercise,” said Mr Sossion.

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