Two youthful aspirants for the governor and senator seats in Kisii county have defended their decision to step down.
Charles Matoke, who was eyeing the governor’s seat on the ANC ticket and Okeng’o Nyambane who was seeking the senator’s seat on the UDA ticket, stepped down and backed their rivals.
Matoke stepped down for UDA aspirant Ezekiel Machogu.
Nyambane, a Nairobi-based lawyer and businessman, is now backing Deputy Governor Joash Maangi, who is contesting the senator's seat on the UDA ticket after ditching ODM.
Speaking separately, they said their decision to shelve their ambitions was in the interest of the party.
Deputy President William Ruto and ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi asked the duo to pull out of the race and concentrate on presidential campaigns.
“I decided to defer my dream in the interest of party unity. Ordinarily, I would have moved to another party, but I have decided to remain firmly in UDA,” Nyambane said.
“The journey to have the right UDA party structures in Kisii county and Kenya at large is progressing quite well. The unity exhibited across other parts has also been a major motivation that consensus is guiding the future of democracy in the country.”
Nyambane said their decision to pull out of the race shows that party loyalty is the basis for success in any democracy.
“We humbly accept the new roles and hope that we will work as a unit in the region to deliver votes and seats come August,” he said in a statement.
Matoke said they have reached a consensus that the best flagbearer for Kenya Kwanza in the Kisii governor contest will be Machogu.
"The coalition leadership has seen something in me that I did not know exists – the capability to play at the national level. So besides seeing me work hard on ensuring a Machogu victory in Kisii county in August, I will vigorously campaign for DP Ruto,” he said.
“To all those who see this as the end of the road for me and for them, I have a word for you 'we are just getting started'. My passion burns white-hot, my love for you endures, my faith germinates anew and my hope for a better Kisii will never die.”
Edited by A.N
