Dr Mishra’s uphill task to break the Kesses parliamentary seat jinx

The race for the Kesses parliamentary seat is expected to be one of the epic political battles in the vote-rich Rift Valley, with the incumbent MP Dr Swarup Mishra facing an uphill task defending it as an independent candidate in a region where the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) enjoys fanatical support.

Dr Mishra, who was elected on a Jubilee ticket in 2017 to emerge the first lawmaker of Asian origin in the cosmopolitan Uasin Gishu County, is out to break the jinx of one-term MPs associated with the seat.

If he wins a second term, he will become the second legislator to do so after Charles Changwony Murgor, who served between 1969 and 1979 under the one-party system.

Dr Mishra, aka Kiprop arap Chelule, will battle it out with former Uasin Gishu County finance executive Julius Ruto, who won the UDA ticket in the recent party primaries.

Campaign goodies

The lawmaker has launched a well-oiled campaign, dishing out goodies, including farm inputs in an effort to win the hearts of the electorate.

Despite being viewed as philanthropic by voters, Dr Mishra has been branded a rebel by Deputy President William Ruto’s allies, who want him defeated.

Dr Mishra's political woes were exacerbated after he was dropped from the powerful Health Committee in the National Assembly to the lesser Members Service and Facilities Committee as vice-chairman.

DP rebel

Rowdy youths have in two separate incidents prevented Dr Mishra from addressing a function in his constituency, demanding to know why he became a rebel in the DP's own backyard.

“Unlike the previous General Election, voters are more interested in individual performance on effective governance and delivery of duties than party manifestos, to the advantage of independent candidates,” said Mathew Koech, a political analysist.

Some of the lawmakers who will defend their seats as independents in Uasin Gishu are Sila Tiren (Moiben) and Senator Margaret Kamar.

Six piece

But DP Ruto, who will fly the UDA presidential flag under the Kenya Kwanza alliance, has told voters to elect only candidates in his party.

Similar sentiments have been expressed by the DP’s allies.

But in a political twist, some of the losers in the UDA nominations will battle with those who won in the primaries.

In Uasin Gishu, losers in the race for the UDA Senate ticket are contesting as independent candidates. Robert Kemei and lawyer Kipchumba Karori will face off with Governor Jackson Mandago, who won the UDA ticket.

Buzeki vs Koti Moja

Politician and businessman Bundotich Zekediah Kiprop (Buzeki), who dismissed DP’s Ruto six-piece plan, will now battle it out with Jonathan Chelilim Bii, popularly known as Koti Moja, of UDA for the Uasin Gishu governor’s seat, among other aspirants. Mr Buzeki will vie as an independent candidate.

Mr Bii clinched the UDA ticket after garnering 71,152 votes, followed by Julius Bitok, a former ambassador to Pakistan, with 59,001.

“I have made sufficient preparations and I am ready to battle it out with other aspirants for the seat,” said Mr Buzeki, who narrowly lost to Governor Mandago in 2017.

Other independents

In Nandi County, Woman Representative Tecla Tum, who lost in the party primaries to Josses Lelmengit for the Emgwen parliamentary seat, will run as an independent.

In Baringo County, Governor Stanley Kiptis and Eldama Ravine MP Moses Lesonett will be vying as independent candidates in the gubernatorial race. They will battle it out with former governor Benjamin Cheboi, who won the UDA ticket, and Richard Koech of Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM).

In 20 wards in Elgeyo-Marakwet County, all the current MCAs who lost in party primaries will contest as independent candidates.

In the Marakwet East parliamentary seat contest, nomination losers have also ganged up and fronted one of their own as an independent candidate to face the incumbent Kangogo Bowen, whom they accuse of manipulating voting in the UDA primaries to win the party ticket.

In Marakwet West, lawyer Timothy Kipchumba, who lost to the incumbent William Kisang in the race for the UDA parliamentary ticket, will also contest as an independent candidate.

In Baringo North and Eldama Ravine constituencies, Emanuel Ngetuny, who lost in the UDA party primaries, will vie as an independent candidate against Musa Sirma, who won the UDA ticket. He claims the primaries were not free and fair.

In Trans Nzoia County, a fierce battle is expected between the current MP Joshua Kutuny and athlete Wesley Korir, who bagged the UDA ticket in the party primaries.

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