Broadcaster Robert Arap Kemei has been cleared by the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties to vie for the Uasin Gishu Senate seat as an independent candidate.
A letter shared by Arap Kemei popularly known as ‘Exellency’ confirms that he is not a member of any political party, as of April 21, 2022, hence free to vie as an independent.
Arap Kemei sought the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket for the seat but finished third in the nomination, behind winner Governor Jackson Mandago and Lawyer Kipchumba Karori who was second.
Karori had filed a case challenging the nomination results, but it was dismissed for lack of merit.
He would later agree to support Mandago as a UDA candidate, although some of his supporters hoped he would go the independent way.
But while announcing decision to vie as an independent candidate, Arap Kemei hit out at Karori, accusing him of auctioning the will of the people to the highest bidder.

“Having raised our concerns to the party and giving them enough evidences, the initiator went to bed with the oppressor by auctioning the will of the people to the highest bidder,” said the former Kass FM presenter.
According to Arap Kemei, his decision aims at ensuring fight for justice following unfair UDA nominations.
He says the nomination “was full of monkey tricks and hullabaloos, emanating from voter bribery, intimidations, coercion and misuse of county resources by the notorious governor, who was later declared the winner.”
Mandago was declared winner of the Senate seat nomination at County Tallying Centre at Hills School after garnering 63,167 votes.

Karori had 45,347 votes while Arap Kemei garnered 23,957 votes.
Arap Kemei will now be be battling Mandago who will fly the UDA flag and current Senator Prof. Margaret Kamar who is defending the seat, also as an independent candidate.