Nandi Hills MP Alfred Kiptoo Keter was expelled from Egerton University in 2002 because of “too much politics”.
Rather than slow him, the decision only emboldened him, dropping his Agri-Business course to undertake Political Science and Public Administration studies at the University of Nairobi.
One of the most vocal MPs on graft matters, Keter says owing to the problems he has seen Kenyans go through, he has offered his entire life to fight for justice.
“It seems we never really got Independence. We need another liberation because those who took over from the colonialists have turned out to be worse. We are slaves of corruption in an unjust society, where one person owns a million acres of land while millions are squatters in the same country,” says the father of two daughters.
His mother has been a political leader in Nandi and the MP inherited the same traits and his character is that of a fearless politician who always speaks his mind.
“My fight against graft is driven by the desire for justice and equality. I have no personal issues with people like former CS Anne Waiguru, or any other corrupt person. They must understand that this country is for our future generations and not for them to loot all over.”
In his brief political career, the MP has rubbed shoulders with the high and mighty and rubbed them up the wrong way with his relentlessness as an anti-graft fighter. It scarcely matters to him that he has on many occasions publicly differed with President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto.
“Some have branded me a rebel or a broker for hire, but all that I said from the SGR project and the NYS scandals has come to pass as the truth,” he says.
Keter, who is als0o passionate about environmental conservation, denies being out to undermine the DP in the Rift Valley.
“I have no other kind of relationship with the DP other than the fact that he is the DP and I am an MP. My work is to oversight what he and others do in the Executive arm of government,” he explains.
He dislikes tribalism, which he claims the Jubilee administration uses to divide Kenyans. He regrets that despite the youth having huge potential, they have been denied opportunities to participate in national development.
He unsuccessfully vied for the Starehe parliamentary seat in 2007 on the ODM ticket.
“I will remain firm and focused in the war on graft even if it appears we are far from winning it,” said Keter, who has used the CDF to put up more than 500 classrooms in schools in Nandi Hills.