KUP upsets UDA spoils in West Pokot, delivers seats to Azimio
Titus Lotee second (right), the Kacheliba MP-Elect on a Kenya Union Party (KUP) ticket, party leader and former West Pokot Governor Prof. John Lonyangapuo (right) and Pokot South MP-Elect David Pkosing, also the KUP Deputy Party Leader celebrate their victory at Kodich Vocational Training Centre, the Kacheliba Constituency Tallying Centre on August 30, 2022.
Former West Pokot governor John Lonyangapuo, put up a strong fight against the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) to secure the Kacheliba and Pokot South parliamentary seats for Azimio la Umoja One Kenya.
KUP upset UDA’s quest to control Rift Valley politics, delivering an enviable win to its Azimio rival in Monday’s elections.
High-stakes
It was a high-stakes election that saw David Pkosing, the KUP deputy party leader and Azimio national treasurer, retain the Pokot South seat for a third term after bagging 28,225 votes.
UDA’s Simon Kalekem, the former West Pokot County Assembly majority leader, received 15,298 and independent candidate James Tekoo had 2,677.
United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party candidate for Pokot South parliamentary seat Simon Kalekem after casting his vote at Parua Primary School on August 29, 2022.
The electoral agency said 46,200 (79.10 per cent) of the 58,409 registered voters in the constituency cast their ballot and 156 votes were rejected.
Kacheliba
In Kacheliba, former deputy governor Titus Lotee, also of KUP, garnered 20,073 votes to defeat his UDA rival, outgoing MP Mark Lomunokol.
Titus Lotee, the MP- elect Kacheliba Constituency on a Kenya Union Party (KUP) ticket is carried shoulder high during celebrations after receiving his winning certificate from IEBC Returning Officer Wilson Kipchumba at Kodich Vocational Training Centre, the Constituency Tallying Centre on August 30, 2022.
A two-term MP, Mr Lomunokol came in second with 17,963 votes, in an election where 77.08 percent of the 51,146 registered voters turned up to vote. Some 39,423 voters cast their ballots and only 41 votes were spoiled.
Kanu’s John Lodinyo came in a distant third with 1,346 votes.
Mr Lotee was West Pokot’s first deputy governor between 2013 and 2017.
Kenya Kwanza blow
The results were a blow to the Kenya Kwanza team, which was banking on securing the two seats, but a win for Mr Pkosing is a boost for Azimio numbers in the battle for numbers in the National Assembly.
The win thus equalised the spoils in the county for both UDA and KUP regarding the parliamentary contest.
It was a redemption and even comforting moment for the former governor, who was defeated by UDA’s Simon Kachapin in the August 9 General Election by a small margin.
Mr Kachapin, West Pokot’s pioneer governor, recaptured the seat with 85,476 votes against Prof Lonyangapuo’s (KUP) 84,610 votes. Prof Lonyangapuo has conceded defeat.
Fierce contest
Monday’s election was a fierce contest between Kenya Kwanza and Azimio in the region believed to be the stronghold of President-elect William Ruto of Kenya Kwanza.
In the August 9 polls, Dr Ruto received 109,944 votes in West Pokot, while Mr Odinga bagged 63,092.
In Pokot South constituency, Dr Ruto had 28,825 votes and Mr Odinga 13,774. In Kacheliba, the DP received 24, 445 votes against Mr Odinga’s 16, 767.
Besides sending Prof Lonyangapuo home, Dr Ruto also bagged the senator’s seat, the Kapenguria and Sigor parliamentary seats and nine ward reps, with KUP only managing to secure the woman representative’s seat.
Mr Pkosing first joined the National Assembly in 2012 under the United Republican Party (URP) and won the 2017 election on a Jubilee ticket.
Kenya Union Party (KUP) candidate for the Pokot South parliamentary seat David Pkosing casting his vote at Chepkobhe Primary School polling station in West Pokot county on Monday August 29, 2022.
External forces
In his acceptance speech, Mr Pkosing lauded Pokot South voters for electing him, and the IEBC for conducting what he said was a free and fair election.
He said he was not competing with his rivals but with external forces that he described as brokers and saboteurs.
"They infiltrated our county and wanted to mess around with our independence and take away resources of the Pokot nation. The people of Pokot South and Kacheliba stood firm. We want to remain independent,” he said.
Party euphoria
Mr Lotee, on the other hand, thanked Kacheliba voters, saying one’s party should not be a determining factor in choosing leaders.
“My party was the least favourite but the electorate believed in my agenda and chose me,” he said after being handed his election certificate at the Kodich vocational training centre, urging voters to desist from falling prey to party euphoria.
He was with Mr Pkosing, woman-rep elect Rael Kasiwai and Prof Lonyangapuo, who also applauded voters for not succumbing to what they called the politics of intimidation and blackmail.
He said locals had shown their faith in the leaders’ socioeconomic transformation agenda by electing candidates vying under the party.
“Some of us, including me, fell by the wayside because of bad politics. But I believe the leaders elected through KUP will offer servant leadership just like our party ideals demand,” Prof Lonyangapuo said.
UDA onslaught
It was not an easy win for Mr Pkosing and Mr Lotee, who had to fight off a UDA campaign onslaught that branded them Ruto rebels and traitors who should not be elected.
On Friday, before the elections, the Kenya Kwanza brigade, led by Deputy President-elect Rigathi Gachagua, Mr Kachapin, and Kapenguria MP-elect Samuel Moroto crisscrossed the two constituencies, drumming up support for UDA candidates.
Another team led by Elgeyo Marakwet senator-elect Kipchumba Murkomen, West Pokot senator-elect Julius Murgor and Sigor MP-elect Peter Lochakapong campaigned separately, urging residents to reject ‘Ruto rebels’ and elect UDA candidates who would support Dr Ruto in Parliament.
