Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kericho Town.

A Russian trained international economist has joined the race for the powerful position of Kericho County governor,

And for the second time in a decade, the contest for the Kericho governorship will feature two brothers-in-law. The first time was in 2002 when the incumbent MP Charles Keter dethroned his brother in-law Charles Kirui in the contest for the Belgut parliamentary seat. Kirui was then serving as the Finance Assistant Minister in the KANU regime headed by the retired President Daniel Arap Moi.

This time around the younger step-brother of Charles Kirui is vying for the powerful position of Kericho County governor against Charles Keter who is married from the Kirui’s family.

Joel Kipng’etich Kirui a top economist trained in Russian and an entrepreneur with much wider international business connection is to contest the governor seat. His brother in-law Charles Keter, who is the incumbent MP or the larger Belgut has also declared his interest in vying for the same position.

Mr Joel Kipng’etich Kirui whois contesing the Kericho County governor position in 2012.

Announcing his candidature in Kericho Town Joel Kirui disclosed that this time around there will be an unusual contest for the governorship of Kericho County, He will team up with another high profile and a technocrat from Roret Division in Bureti district Prof. David Rotich who has shown interest in vying for the position of the deputy governor.

Our new team and with combined most illustrious academic background of two of us will make Kericho County the most vibrant given the region’s buoyant economic strength. Rotich is a professor of electronic engineering and IT.”We have what it takes to be the best brains in the region, which could meet the challenges offered by the County governance,” said Kirui.

The Russian trained top economist is well known in the international business circles. He runs a chain of businesses in Kericho and London. He is also a prominent farmer in Kipkellion constituency where he stood for the parliamentary contest in 2007 and was declared the winner during the preliminary party nominations, but owing to the much thawed ODM nomination system, he says he was rigged out on the alleged instructions of a powerful politician in he Rift Valley who by then had lot of political clout within the party.

He has three homes, one in his Kipkellion farm, the other one at his family home turf at Kibeneti and his palatial home in Chebown, next to the main Kericho-Sotik-Kisii main road.

Kirui was born at Kibeneti area of South Western of Kericho in a well known political family. His father David Arap Cheboss was a pioneer farmer who ventured into modern farming method as early as in the 1940s. His father was also among he eldest crop of politician in Kipsigis land who contested the civic election in what was known as African Local Native Council {ALNC},which was later transformed into the African District Council {ADC} and in later day County Council of Kipsigis.

His father Arap Cheboss represented the Belgut Ward, and is being credited for having helped in establishing many schools as well as having assisted many young Kipsigis boys and girls in their quest for higher education.

It is his opinion that the position of the County Governors would be more suitable for high profile professionals and not politicians. “It is the professionals who could turn the Counties around and make them vibrant institutions of good governance. The politician would loot the Counties to the ground making the institutions not viable for the economic development and growth.

He told this writer that Kericho being one of the richest regions in the country could serve as role model to other regions, but only if its County governance would be placed in the hands of the most qualified individual personalities

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