In the aftermath of the by-elections a senior political figure was left visibly unsettled. Known for his fiery rallies and trademark confidence, the veteran politician had supposedly expected the mini-polls to signal a national shift in his favour. Instead, the results told a different tale. Insiders say he possibly spent the better part of the night pacing in his residence, closely following social media and demanding fresh intelligence reports. “How did we lose it,” he kept asking. His allies, who had predicted a “political earthquake,” were suddenly quiet, unsure how the ground had slipped beneath them. By morning, the once-boisterous political warrior seemingly appeared humbled and crest fallen.
***
It is the Senator from Uasin Gishu who famously quipped, “Usiweke siasa kwa roho — weka kwa lungs; ukipumua, inatoka.” But it seems one key politician in the just-concluded high-stakes by-elections did not take that wisdom to heart. Corridors understands the man has allegedly slipped into a state of shock and disbelief after the results. It is purported that he is loudly blaming alleged state interference, insisting that “the ground” told a very different story. But those in the know whisper that what has really shaken him is not just the loss — it’s the eye-watering amount of money he poured into the race, only to find himself hopelessly outspent by the other side.
***
A CEC from one of the arid counties is reportedly being accused of allegedly over reacting following a request form a local organization. The lobby group reportedly sought additional information in a matter that the county had sought opinion on. What surprised the group is that the particular CEC supposedly responded harshly and accused them of politicizing an issue that the county itself had sought comments on. This, the lobby says, went on to prove that the county had called for comments on the matter just as a procedural formality.
***
Success has many fathers, and failure is an orphan, the saying goes. This is the case in one of the by-elections where an MP from the region is now all over allegedly taking credit for the win. The MP, who has been vocal against a key opposition figure, is all over celebrating the win and supposedly taking credit for the outcome for a win some in the camp say he had no role in. In fact, those in the know say the MP barely stepped his foot in the constituency, and was only present on election day.
