Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi has admitted he did not want Governor Jackson Mandago to win the UDA primary for the Senate seat in Uasin Gishu.
He had been urging Mandago not to run and to concentrate on campaigning for Deputy President William Ruto.
Sudi admitted on Sunday Mandago outwitted him, won the primary and will possibly be the next senator for Uasin Gishu.
“I actually did not want this man Mandago to vie for the Senate seat or win during the nominations but this time he outwitted me and I have accepted that we will now work together,"Sudi said.
He spoke on Sunday in Eldoret during a prayer rally for UDA nominees in North Rift . The rally was attended by Bii, Mandago, ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi and Nandi Governor Stephen Sang, among others.
The MP denied claims he had been opposed to the UDA nominee for governor in Uasin Gishu, Jonathan Bii.
“Even when I was just relaxing in my house with my family, people would say all manner of things about me and the elections but I am not a bad person. I am the one who talked to Bii several years ago and asked him to quit Kanu and join us," Sudi said.
Before the UDA primaries, Sudi openly asked Mandago not to vie for the Senate seat but leave it to other people in the county.
“Mandago should go for a national seat and let other people vie for county seats because he has been governor for 10 years and should move on,"Sudi said. The remark sparked a bitter political quarrel between the two leaders.
Mandago rubbished Sudi’s remarks and said he would win the primaries in which Sudi supported his rivals.
On Sunday, Sudi said he wanted Mandago to campaign for the DP and serve at the national level.
“He rejected my plan and won the nominations and now we will work with him," Sudi said. He said he and Mandago would most of the time go out to campaign for Ruto in other parts of the country.
“At times when you will not see me and Mandago, just know that we are out there working to ensure that Ruto wins," Sudi said.
Mandago admitted he was given a run for his money by his rivals during the primaries but he thanked residents of the county for backing him.
(Edited by V. Graham)
