Governor Jackson Mandago has received backing from youth and women to run for Senate, though key allies of DP Ruto don't want him to vie.
Without wholehearted support from UDA, Mandago will have trouble winning the Senate ticket.
He is opposed by Ruto allies led by Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi. They say he has not helped the party much and has not helped financially, focusing on himself instead of Ruto. They called him a lone ranger.
Residents led by Stephen Kinuthia and youth leader Joseph Chumba said the county boss had the right to vie for any seat as he had performed well in the last nine years.
“We ask Sudi to let Mandago exercise his democratic right of running for any position in this country. Under the law no one can stop another from exercising his or her rights," Kinuthia said.
Kinuthia said Mandago had performed well as Uasin Gishu governor and the business community will back his run for Senate.
“Mandago has done well, even sorting out problems for small-scale traders like hawkers. He understands devolution well being an insider, he said.
Chumba claimed there was a scheme to cripple Mandago politically but as youth leaders they would stand firm with the governor.
Representatives of women groups led by Jane Tarus said they too would support Mandago.
“Those who think they are stronger than Mandago should come out and face him in the race instead of imagining he will pull out because of intimidation by the likes of Sudi," she said.
They spoke after meeting in Eldoret as Mandago stepped up his Senate campaign.
Mandago unexpectedly faced hostility from some Ruto allies who want him to drop the plan and seek a national position.
Debate is raging ion why Sudi came out to oppose Mandago’s plan and there are claims that insiders, possibly Ruto himself, are aware of a plan to tame Mandago politically.
Sources close to the governor say he was surprised at the turn of events as Sudi went to several events an he asked the governor to go for a national seat and campaign for DP Ruto,
Mandago insisted he will run for Senate. He could run as an independent or find another party if he doesn't get the UDA ticket.
Sudi recently paraded two of the Senate aspirants — former Kass FM presenter Robert Kemei and Oliver Kipchumba Karori — who hope to face off with the county boss in next year’s polls.
Sources within the political cycles in the county told the Star that some Ruto allies were unhappy with Mandago and had been waiting for an opportune time to ‘teach him a political lesson'.
“The governor has been operating as lone ranger and showing lukewarm support for the DP. He has proved to be unreliable and cannot stand with anyone. We don’t need such a person who is selfish," an MP allied to UDA said.
They accuse Mandago of being an opportunist who has been bragging that he is self made politically. “Let him dare run for the Senate and we will show him he needs other people and selfishness will not take him anywhere," the MP said.
(Edited by V. Graham).
