Governor Mandago: I’ll run for Senate seat

Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago has announced his bid to contest for senatorial seat when his second term ends.

“I’ve been seeing many candidates traversing the county popularising their candidature for different elective seats in the 2022 general election. Kindly preserve the Senate seat for me,” Mr Mandago said at Kipkenyo Trading Centre while opening Chemuz Ankara Shop, a fabric fashion and design shop.

He criticised those who think Senate is reserved for candidates with a legal background.

“For one to be elected as a senator, it is not compulsory for them to be a lawyer. Our senator, Prof Margaret Kamar, is not a lawyer, neither is Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka, who was a district commissioner. We will square it out with other candidates vying for the seat.”

Prof Kamar has not formally announced whether she will defend her seat or go for another post.

Mr Mandago’s entry into the race could heighten calls for a negotiated democracy in the cosmopolitan county and jolt political prospects of other candidates, including Soy MP Caleb Kositany, and businessman Jonathan Bii, who have announced their gubernatorial bids and come from the larger Northern part of Uasin Gishu, just like Mr Mandago.

There has been a proposition by a section of leaders and backed by elders to have elective seats shared and rotated among the Northern (Soy and Turbo constituencies), Southern (Kapseret and Kesses constituencies) and Eastern (Moiben and Ainabkoi constituencies) parts of the county.

“For the past 10 years the governorship has been with the Northern side of the county. This time round let the Southern part decide on who to elect as the governor,” said Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi at a past function.