Reports Leo Odera Omolo.

SIGOWET / SOIN is one of the two parliamentary constituencies, which were among hew 80 new constituencies recently created by the Independent Electoral Boundary Commission {IEBC} has now attracted a good number of political heavyweights in the region.

Among the political elites routing to go for the seat is the former Marketing and Communications Director for the Chemelil Sugar Company Limited Justice Kemei, the man who is credited for having given the Belgut MP Charles Keter a run for his money during the 2007 ODM preliminaries.

Keter, however, narrowly escaped defeat owing to much flawed ODM nomination system which favored massive rigging and manipulations of the voters. Many constituents, however, believes and maintained that Kemei had carried the day during the ODM preliminaries, but was rigged out through the dirty political machinations.

A trained journalist by profession with a master’s degree in mass communications his first employment was with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting where he served as a reporter with the Kenya News Agency {KNA} before moving to the National Cereal and Produce Board and served for several years and the board’s public relations manager. He then moved to Chemelil Sugar Company where he rose from communications manager to become the firm’s Marketing and Communications director before retiring in 2007 to venture into parliamentary politics and contested the Belgut seat.

After the 2007 general election Kemei ventured into private business in partnership with others in the coastal city of Mombasa. Kemei comes into the race as an experienced person with the politics of Belgut in particular and that of Kericho County in general.

Also rearing to go for the seat I another former top manager with the Chemelil Sugar Company Limited Eng. Richard Koech a man credited for having wealth of experience in sugar technology and engineering dating back to 20 years.

Koech served as the agriculture manager in charge of the field operations and services. After leaving the Chemeli, Eng Koech embarked in the consultancy work which took him all places including East and Southern Africa offering consultancy services in the fields of agricultural development and food security program in East and Southern Africa including Environmental Impact Assessment {E.i.A} and Strategic Environmental Assessment {SEA} in sugar industry.

Eng Koech has also been offering consultancy service on feasibility involved in establishing sugar cane out grower scheme, rehabilitation and maintenance of rural infrastructure, roads, forestry, irrigation, water and sanitation, renewable energy, social community infrastructure among others.

Speaking to this writer at his palatial Sigowet home, Eng. Koech promised to engage all the stakeholders in the development of Sigowet / Soin constituency which has the potential of developing faster if all the resources devolved and those generated from within are put into proper use.

He said the area is rich in sugar cane, tea, coffee, water, livestock, human and resources. The constituency, said Eng Koech has the potential for wildlife sanctuary and an area has already been identified at Chebulu in Kaplelartet Ward.

Also said to be in the race is Joel Kemei formerly a trained secondary school before changing career to Human Resources Management. He is currently working with the Ken-Gen as its Human Resources Manager.

Kemei had been showing interests during the past election, but has never contested. It is, however, not clear whether this time around he will come out full blast a bid to capture he seat.

The new seat has also attracted Wilson Soi, formerly a senior manager with the James Finlays Tea an Flowers Company in Kericho for over 30 years. Soi was educated at Nakuru High School, but through private studies is said to have continued pursuing his education and finally obtained a Phd doctorate degree.

Another personality who has been expected to be one of the contestants of Sigowet / Soin is Ken Mutai a Kericho business magnate who is running chain of businesses in Kericho, Nairobi and Mombasa.

Mutai who is credited for having been the power behind the successes of the incumbent Belgut MP Charles Keter in the past elections, but this time around the two cousins have been divided and relocated into two different constituencies with Keter remaining on the side of the old Belgut while mutai whoe home is in Sigowet is of the other side..

All those who have already declared their interests in the new seat are all fro Sigowet Division, but so far nobody has come forward to claim the seat from the Soin side. But the electorate says there are still more time, may be one or two contestants will emerge from the area.

Sigowet / Soin constituency is bordering Nyakach in the west, Nyando in the northwest, Ainamoi in the north east, Belgut in the South east and part of Mugirango / Borabu across the Sondu / Miriu River.

The constituency has the best an arable land which is producing a lot of tea, coffee, sugar cane, maize, bananas, vegetables and top graded dairy animals. Its major trading center is Sondu Market, which a border town is serving several administrative districts of Nyamira, Rachuonyo South, Nyakach, Kericho West and Nyando.

Sondu Trading center is potentially and strategically placed to grow much faster and become one of the best trading towns in Western Kenya. The faster growth an successes of Sondu Market and its transformation from a small cattle trading market to a vibrant border town will depend entirely on the quality of leadership which will emerge in the region during the next polls, especially MP and County Representatives from Sigowet / Soin, Nyakach, North Mugirago Borabu, Rachuoyo South and Nyando.

As far as politics are concerned, the aspirants have kept mum. No one has dared to mention as to which party he would be seeking the support. This is because of the strong presence of both William Ruto’s URP and Raila Odinga’s ODM parties in the region and the new entrants are still weighing their options.

Ends