KIPSIGIS CLAN ELDERS WARNED AGAINST DEPLOYING OLD AND OUT OF DATE KANU DICTATORIAL TACTICS IN BOMET PARLIAMENTARY BY ELECTION AND TO TOE ODM LINE.

By Leo Odera Omolo

THE Forthcoming by elections in Bomet Parliamentary constituency seemed to have attracted a lot o vest interests from the various stakeholders, party politics, clan issues and cultural affairs.

Last week end a meeting of sub-clan elders was held at Kaparuso home of the late Road Minister Kipkalia Kones in Long’isa Division of Bomet district. The elder came exclusively from the Kapbecherek sub-clan, which has a mixture of Kisiis and Kipsigis blood.

The late Kones like the late Prof. Jonathan Ng’eno also a former Road Minister during the Moi eras is a member of the Kapbecherek sub-clan. And the weekend meeting was meant to drum up support for Kones widow Mama Beatric Kones as the sole candidate in the impending by election scheduled for September 25,2008.

The endorsement of Mrs Kones by the clan elders has sparked off scathing criticism with the ODM branches in Kipsigis region, and also by the electorate who dismissed it as “Out of date KANU dictatorial tactics of handpicking up candidates without giving the electorate their democratic rights of picking up the right candidate of their own choice.”

ODM leaders in Kipsigis region termed it “Unwarranted and uncalled for” saying it was too early for the clan elders to come out in full support of Kones widow Beatrice. They should have waited until after the ODM primaries. Their action tantamount to dictatorial tendencies of the past. “Most of the elders involved in the reported delibarations were people who played divide and rule tactics against the Kipsigis community during the KANU days and as such should retire from politics honourably and go to rest.

Twop elders members of the Kapbecherek clan who include a former Kericho Mayor Ayub Siele, who lives in Kapsoid in Belgut and former chairman of the County Council of Kipsigis MZEE Stanley Turgut who was once a member of the defunct rift Valley Regional Assembly representing Kipsigis were quoted by a section of the press as having issued the statement endorsing Mrs Kones candidature.

But the sentiment expressed by the clan elders has met with vehement opposition from across section of Bomet residents .It has also caused jittery with the youths who felt the elders were out for mischievous politics of imposing a candidate on the Bomet electorate.”

.”If M rs Kones is the right candidate, then let her come out in her true picture and campaigned herself with the view of convincing and winning the support of the voters. But she must not deploy the services of proxies, particularly the elderly men who are tired and too old to give proper direction to the youth,” said Benjamin Kilach, a Bomet ODM operative.

The action of the elders is a mockery to the tenets of democratic principles, and they must be told in a clear-cut language that the days of handpicking up parliamentary candidates in Kipsigis are long gone,” said another politician who wished his name to remain anonymous.

In Kipsigi tradition and culture, political heritance is alient. Each and every candidate should be treated equally, and there must not be any special treatment to any particular aspirant, opined one civic leader in Bomet County Council

Meanwhile information emerging from the ground says, the by-elections to fill the vacant Bomet seat which was left by the late Kones who perished in an aircraft accident in June is expected to be a bruising battle between the two political families, which have dominated the constituency ever since uit was created in the early 1970s., thus pitting the Salat and Kones families.

But this time around Mr. Sammy Sigei who used to be Kones chief campaigner is likely create a swing votes. Sigei who is married to Mrs Ida Raila Odinga, accord to the various sources could create ripples as his popularity is said to be on upward trend.

However, Nick Salat remained a hot cake. He is the darling of the youth. He is the darling of both youth and women folks due to his well cherished generosity. The former legislator is accessible person who is credited for treating his constituents equally irrespective of their stations within the society.

Equally the majority of the electorate wanted him to return to Parliament so that he could complete some of the unfinished projects, which he had initiated while he was the MP for the area between 2002 and 2007.

Salat, however, is facing an uphill task to find a suitable political party to sponsore his candidature. He is a KANU stalwart and a confidant of both Mzee Moi and his favourite son Gideon Moi. But this time around he should avoid using KANU ticket. Perhaps, if he choose to stand on UDM ticket, he will definitely make it to Parliament.Selling KANU to the electorate in Bomet would not be an easy exercise due to numerous accusation and counter allegation against the party of Mama na Baba.

At the same time Mrs Kones is said to be unselleable commodity in Bomet politics. Sources privy to the family before the late Kones death says he relations with the late husband had strained due to various domestic issues and this could have adverse effect on her

The ODM should be equally advised that it would not be an easy job to convince the votersd to elect Mrs Kones. And as such they should allow all the aspirants to participate in the party’s primaries and pick the popular candidate without settling only on one aspirant.

Other aspirants, who are equally said to be popular with the votes, and could sprung a surprise include Dr. Paul Chirchir, Mr Steve Mutai, a Ketepa Manager based in Kericho, Mr Sammy Maina and Prof. Wilson Sitonik.

Also in the race is Ms Lila Siele, a former career diplomat who is said to be very popular with women folks and intellectuals alike.

As far as party politics are concerned in Bomet, the ODM is the party of the day. But the party popularity has been jolted with the recent draconian government directives issued by the Prime Minister Raila Odinga ordering thousands of Kipsigis settlers to vacate Mau Complex by October. The majority of the affected squatters are members of Kipsigis families whose original homes are in Bomet. The issue has had negative effect on the ODM, especially considering the fact that the PM is the de facto leader of the party.

Many Kipsigis believes Raila Odinga has already abandoned their community despite they having voted for him on man-to-man basis during the 2007 general elections and was now favouring the people of the Mt. Kenya region. They cite the recent appointment of Chris M. Obure the Minister for Works as the acting Roads Minister, arguing that there was no point in appointing Obure on an acting capacity as if Kones was suspended, and yet the former Minister is dead and will never return again. Raila and Kibaki should have considered one of the Kipsigis MPs for direct appointment to the cabinet, they argue.

It is also imperative to take a note that Kipsigis and the Kisiis are arch-tribal enemies from the time immemorable, therefore by appoi9nting a Kisii to act on a docket left vacant by a dead Kipsigis is considered as a bad omen and a stigma top the community.

Ends

leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

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Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2008 03:52:27 -0700 (PDT)
From: Leo Odera Omolo
Subject: KIPSIGIS CLAN ELDERS AGAINST MANIPULATION BOMET BY ELECTION