•Bii, popularly known as known as Koti Moja (one jacket), campaigned on the motto of being the people’s governor.
•He defeated tough opponents in the primaries, including two former envoys and Soy MP Caleb Kositany.
Image: BY MATHEWS NDANYI
Politician Jonathan Bii, who won the UDA governor primary for Uasin Gishu, says he has the capacity to deliver, despite a wide perception that he is not suitable.
Bii, popularly known as known as Koti Moja (one jacket), campaigned on the slogan of being the people’s governor. He defeated tough opponents in the primaries including two former envoys and Soy MP Caleb Kostany.
The politician, who started off many years ago as a Kanu activist and later joined Jubilee, is a seasoned politician in the region.
He has twice run unsuccessfully for the Soy parliamentary seat and has taken part in community activities for years.
He is a shrewd grassroots mobiliser who about eight years ago said he would run for the county's top seat but few residents thought he would succeed.
"I thank God because my journey in politics has been quite long but the Almighty never forsakes anyone if you believe in him," Bii said.
His main rival, former envoy Julius Bitok, has filed an election dispute with UDA that is yet to be heard.
Bii said he believes he won fair and square and residents had made their decision known.
He comes from a humble background and was known to wear the same jacket — no splashy changes of clothes, hence the nick name Koti Moja.
His opponents tried to disparage him referring to him as someone with less means and capacity, citing the one coat.
But Bii turned the nickname into a powerful slogan that made him popular in the county where he is one step away from succeeding Governor Jackson Mandago.
“For those still doubting, just wait and see how I will work if elected. I have the capacity to deliver and will work in consultation to involve many people, including all communities in Uasin Gishu," Bii said.
He faces an uphill task running against businessman Bundotich Kiprop Buzeki who will vie as an independent.
Buzeki, as he is popularly known, has a big war chest and is a shrewd businessman with local and international connections.
Analysts say Buzeki’s capacity and substantial support in the county should worry Bii’s team, though Deputy President will throw his support behind Bii.
Meanwhile, the just-concluded UDA primaries caused wider rifts among some DP allies who were accused of backing rival aspirants.
The differences between a camp led by Mandago and another led by Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi played out, especially in Uasin GIshu, Nandi and Elgeyo Marakwet counties.
Sudi had opposed Mandago's run for Senate in the county he has been running. The governor defied the resistance to run for Senate and won, despite claims of vote tampering.
After winning, supporters of Mandago and Bii celebrated in Eldoret while hitting out at Sudi for working against them.
(Edited by V. Graham)