Maryanne Kitany beats Aldai MP Cornelius Serem in UDA primaries
Maryanne Kitany displays her nomination certificate after being declared the winner.
What you need to know:
- Maryanne Keitany, former DP chief of staff, to fly UDA flag in Aldai after beating incumbent MP in primaries.
- Ms Keitany was the only female contender in the race. There were six male contestants.
Maryanne Keitany, the former chief of staff in the office of Deputy President William Ruto, has trounced the incumbent Aldai MP Cornelius Serem to bag the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket in the race for the parliamentary seat in the August 9 polls.
Ms Keitany garnered 16,597 votes against Mr Serem’s 13,878, in one of the most hotly contested races in DP Ruto's political bastion of the Rift Valley.
As he was pushing for consensus in other regions, the DP stayed away from the nominations in his home turf, and UDA supporters had to make the decision through universal suffrage.
Both Ms Keitany and Mr Serem are close allies of Dr Ruto, with the latter, who is serving his second term, always defending the country's second in command against his critics. That cost him a position on a parliamentary committee in 2020.
Male dominated race
Maryanne Kitany (centre) addressing the press after being declared winner for UDA nominations in Aldai constituency. //
Ms Keitany was the only female contender in the race. There were six male contestants.
In her victory speech after receiving an interim UDA certificate from constituency returning officer Katam Charles, she said she was not viewing her win as a defeat for Mr Serem but as an indication that constituents are yearning for new leadership.
Thanking residents of Aldai for trusting her with leadership, Ms Keitany, who says she is emulating the former MP Dr Sally Kosgey, disclosed that her priorities will include education, roads and electricity connections.
She said she regretted the poor level of development in the constituency.
"Education is the equaliser between the rich and the poor. I will invest in bringing equity in Aldai because it is what made me who I am now," she said.
"The level of education in Aldai is below average because the leadership has misplaced priorities, for instance, giving priorities to purchasing school buses instead of focusing on infrastructure."
Earning a UDA ticket in the vote-rich Rift Valley is like winning the General Election, because the party is the most popular in the region.
