In a dramatic turn of events, Kanu Chairman Gideon Moi on Thursday dropped out of the Baringo Senate race in favour of the UDA candidate, Vincent Chemitei, who is backed by President William Ruto.
Multiple sources told the Nation that the abrupt move was occasioned by “business considerations”.
The family of former President Daniel Moi has publicly complained that the Kenya Kwanza administration had weaponised the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to “deal” with them.
For hours on Thursday, all roads in Baringo led to Kabarnet. Red-shirted Kanu supporters danced, sang and waved flags outside the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) offices, waiting for Mr Moi to show up and submit his nomination papers for the senatorial by-election.
By 11 am, anticipation had turned into restlessness. Word spread that “Chairman”, as he is fondly called, was on his way. By 2 pm, whispers of uncertainty had started to creep in. And at 4 pm—the IEBC deadline—it became clear: Gideon Moi was a no-show. The son of Kenya’s second president had dropped out of the race.
The dramatic twist came just a day after Moi’s surprise visit to State House, Nairobi, where, in the company of Kanu Secretary-General George Wainaina and former Baringo Woman Rep Gladwel Cheruiyot, he met President Ruto.
Last evening, Mr Wainaina confirmed that Moi would not present his papers, citing “other considerations”.
Asked whether those considerations were business-related, he replied: “Not business-related. We agreed as parties. It was a suggestion that came to us and we agreed. We did further consultations and agreed to withdraw.”
Pressed to explain why supporters were kept in the dark, he said consultations were still ongoing.
“I think even now, consultations are still going on, but I don’t know at what stage. We shall give a comprehensive brief tomorrow (today),” said Mr Wainaina.
He denied suggestions that Kanu had struck a political deal with President Ruto similar to the ODM–UDA one.
Kanu chairman Gideon Moi when he met with President Ruto at State House
“That is the Head of State for all of us,” he said. “If he calls us for a meeting and there are important matters to discuss, we attend. We are a national party and agreeing to attend such a meeting does not mean we are now joining the government.”
Mr Moi did not respond to our questions, sent to his known phone number, seeking his response on whether his decision to drop out was influenced by business interests or other factors.
However, the Nation has gathered that Mr Moi agreed to drop out of the race in exchange for protection of the family’s business empire, which has not been doing well under President Ruto’s administration.
A State House official told the Nation that Mr Moi pleaded for intervention for the family businesses.
“His requests were in terms of his businesses. You know his businesses have been doing badly in the last three years,” said the source, who did not divulge details of the kind of intervention Mr Moi sought.
Early this year, an independent power-producing company owned by the Moi family suffered a blow after a Nakuru court revoked its licence to undertake exploration and drilling activities at the Geothermal Development Company project in Menengai, Nakuru County.
High Court Judge Milicent Odeny cancelled the environmental impact assessment report issued to Sosian Energy Limited by the National Environmental Management Authority.
Sosian Energy is the only local independent power producer conducting exploration and drilling activities at the Menengai geothermal fields. Mr Moi’s son, Kigen, is a director of the firm.
In May, Kencont Container Freight Station in Mombasa, a subsidiary of the Siginon Group, was raided by police on accusations that the land it occupies is held illegally.
Some Kanu officials, who had on Wednesday claimed that Mr Moi declined the Head of State’s request to step down in favour of Mr Chemitei, yesterday expressed frustration at the decision.
They claimed that Mr Moi switched off his phone after telling them to mobilise his supporters on the ground for the IEBC clearance.
“He ought to have prepared his supporters so that they feel respected. We should have been more tactical. The way he has chickened out is not in good taste. It’s creating tension in the party,” said an official.
Another insider said Kanu members were divided over the withdrawal, with some fearing it signals a quiet alignment with the Ruto administration. “This really looks bad,” he said.
Kanu had on October 2 announced Mr Moi’s candidature, which it said came after extensive consultations, deliberations, and consensus within the party and with the people of Baringo.
Kanu chairman Gideon Moi.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
“As a party, we are confident that Moi’s candidature will resonate widely with the electorate. We call upon our supporters across Baringo County and the country at large to rally behind our Chairman as we embark on this crucial journey,” the party said.
Mr Moi’s abrupt retreat has sparked unease within Kanu ranks, with some members warning that the party risks losing credibility among its grassroots supporters.
Nairobi gubernatorial aspirant Tony Gachoka, a staunch Kanu loyalist, struck a cautious tone
“I’m in Kanu to stay. If Gideon does not take his papers, there could be many things out of it,” he said. “He may either join or not join government, at the moment we don’t know what it means. Maybe he decided not to run but keep his political independence.”
He added: “I haven’t spoken with the Chairman but I hope we shall have further consultations. At the moment we can’t say Kanu has joined the government.”
Veteran journalist-turned-politician Tony Gachoka.
Photo credit: Pool
For President Ruto, it removes the risk of embarrassment in his home turf, where a loss by a UDA candidate would have emboldened critics led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
For Mr Moi, however, it marks another retreat from active politics and a blow to efforts to revive Kanu as a national force. The party has struggled to reclaim relevance since its defeat in 2002.
The decision also comes amid growing speculation that Mr Moi could be eyeing a strategic comeback through political alliances ahead of 2027—possibly by mending fences with President Ruto or aligning with a rebranded opposition.
Sources indicate that President Ruto’s overture was motivated by growing anxiety within the ruling coalition over the potential political backlash should UDA lose the Baringo by-election.
Baringo, a county in the heart of the Rift Valley, is widely viewed as a political barometer of the president’s influence in his home region against Mr Moi.
The two leaders have for a long time been in a protracted supremacy battle for the control of the vote-rich region, before Mr Moi was decimated in the 2022 elections when his Kanu lost all but one seat in the region to Dr Ruto’s UDA.
Kanu only retained the Tiaty parliamentary seat, which was won by Mr William Kamket, who has since become a close ally of President Ruto.
The by-election follows the death of UDA’s William Cheptumo , who won the seat in 2022. In that race, Cheptumo garnered 141,177 votes (65.38 percent), trouncing Mr Moi, who managed 71,480 votes (33.11 percent). Felix Chelaite, running as an independent, finished a distant third with 3,261 votes.
