•Sabaot professionals said they fully stand by Natembeya’s decision to pick banker Phillomena Kapkori as his running mate.
•But elders, some professionals were offended that Natembeya did not accept their suggestions, said they could shift allegiance.
A group of Sabaot professionals have struck back and reaffirmed their support of Philomena Kapkori to deputise George Natembeya for governor.
The Trans Nzoia professionals led by Professor Solomon Musani said Kapkori is a highly qualified member of the community deserving to deputise Natembeya.
Professor Musani criticised recent move by a group of elders and local professionals to reject Kapkori's appointment.
Natembeya will battle Ford Kenya's Chris Wamalwa who is also considered a frontrunner for the governor seat.
“As the Sabaot community professionals. it’s our opinion Natembeya fulfilled his promise by choosing a Sabaot woman as his running mate. This was not done by the Sabaot Professionals and Council of Elders,"Professor Musani said in a statement.
A section of the Sabaot professionals had on May 18 questioned the choice by Natembeya of his deputy.
Speaking to the media in Kitale, the professionals, who included teachers and doctors and elders, said Natembeya rejected names they had given him for consideration.
Through their secretary Abraham Kibogi, the professionals said Natembeya's pick caught them by surprise.
"Yes, it is the prerogative of a candidate to chose his running mate but not without consulting the community. We strongly feel isolated, cheated and deprived," he said.
They asked the former administrator to explain how he arrived at the decision on the former banker.
They said they would be exploring their next political move.
But Professor Musani said in the statement that there is no evidence that a thorough vetting process was conducted by those criticising Natembeya’s choice.
Professor Musani said that in one of the meetings hastily convened, only one candidate for the position turned up with supporters, making objective vetting difficult.
“Let us face it, infighting among ourselves, particularly Sabaot leaders, is a cancer that is responsible for our main undoing in the county,” Professor Musani said.
He reminded critics that the Sabaot community failed to muster support to back one of them to win the Sabaoti parliamentary seat in the last election. He said that was evidence of the infighting that had undermined unity of the community.
Musani said Kapkori was a professional with vast management experience and who happens to be a Sabaot woman.
“She is eminently qualified to hold the position of deputy governor, and I congratulate Natembeya for demonstrating great leadership in choosing her," he said.
Natembeya has said the recommended names did not meet his criteria.
He said all well-meaning Sabaots, specifically professionals. should give Kapkori a chance by rallying around Natembeya’s candidacy.
He said that back someone who has not shown any interest in the welfare of the Sabaot community is preposterous and misguided.
“The Sabaot leaders opposing Natembeya’s choice are failing the community. What they are doing is tantamount to throwing the baby out with the bathwater and that is surely immoral," he said.
Professor Musani said majority of the Sabaot professionals were fully behind Natembeya’s candidacy and his chosen running mate.
“My appeal to the Sabaot community is that we stand united in support of Natembeya’s winning team,”he said.
(Edited by V. Graham)