Businessman Bundotich Kiprop, popularly known as Buzeki, is negotiating with former Bomet Governor Isaac Rutto for a possible takeover of his Chama Cha Mashinani Party.
Negotiations follow Buzeki's exit from Jubilee to chart his own way ahead of the 2022 elections.
Buzeki, who had been a close ally of Deputy President William Ruto, now says he has consulted widely and decided he and his team has no future in Jubilee.
Hence, he decided to "start planning early for his political future".
“It’s true we have disembarked from Jubilee and we are now looking forward to a new political future,” Buzeki said in Eldoret on Saturday.
Buzeki has met Rutto in the last few weeks for talks over joining or taking over Rutto’s CCM.
“It’s true I meet Rutto and we talk about many issues but we will reveal our game plan at the right time,” Buzeki said.
Sources told the Star said he would take over the party and rebrand it as his vehicle to vie for the top seat in Uasin Gishu.
It was not clear if the former county boss would give up the party or remain part of the leadership. The party has considerable support in parts of Rift Valley.
Buzeki had wanted to run for Uasin Gishu governor on a Jubilee ticket but is said to blame the DP for ensuring that Jackson Mandago got the Jubilee nomination.
Allies of DP Ruto have also been courting Rutto to join them.
Buzeki narrowly lost in the Jubilee nominations to Jackson Mandago. He then vied as an independent candidate and lost with a margin of about 40,000 votes.
The billionaire businessman, who has interests in the shipping, transport and dairy sector among other areas, said since the last elections he has been monitoring the political situation and Jubilee in particular.
He is blaming the DP Ruto and his allies for interfering with the party nominations in the last polls. He is said to fear there are elements close to Ruto who are determined to do the same again and "keep forcing candidates on the electorate".
He accused Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, Soy MP Caleb Kostany and Ruto’s aide Farouk Kibet of having pledged to keep frustrating him in Jubilee.
“Farouk and his team have in the past gone public on this and my supporters now believe we will not have fair play in Jubilee and we would rather think ahead,” the businessman said.
Contacted for comment, Farouk said he had "no time to talk about nonsense".
“I am not a politician and let Buzeki deal with his own issues,” he said. Murkomen and Kositany could not be reached.
Supporters of Buzeki in Uasin Gishu led by Janet Tuwei and Ben Kiplimo said they stand with the decision he had taken.
"Buzeki has been consulting us and many other people and we are fully in support of all moves he will make. We also believe he won the nominations and the elections last time but all processes were interfered with by cartels in Jubilee,” Tuwei said.
(Edited by R.Wamochie)
