Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago on Monday, June 6, 2022, presented himself before the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Rift Valley regional offices for questioning.
Mandago had been summoned by the DCI, alongside Cheptiret/Kipchamo Member of County Assembly Gilbert Tenai over claims that he was training a militia ahead of the August 9 polls.
There are reports that Uasin Gishu UDA gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Bii Chelilim alias Koti Moja has also been summoned by DCI.
Koti Moja was to accompany the two leaders but asked that he be allowed to present himself on Tuesday, as he was submitting his nomination papers to IEBC on Monday.
The training, the DCI alleged, was being done at the Uasin Gishu County-owned Chebororwa Agricultural Training College (ATC).
Addressing the press outside the DCI headquarters in Nakuru, the county boss dismissed claims against him, saying they were being peddled by his political enemies.
“What the DCI has called me here for are mere lies that are being spread by candidates using government machinery,” Mandago said.
“Those claiming I am training militia at Chebororwa ATC have fallen short of political ideas. They need to stop petty politics and look for votes from the electorate,” he added.
Chebororwa ATC is a facility the county has been using to train its agricultural officers, and farmers, as well as for hosting conferences.
Mandago specifically singled out Uasin Gishu gubernatorial aspirant Bundotich Zedekiah alias Buzeki for being behind the claims.
“Buzeki who is being sponsored by the government instead of facing off with his competitor (Koti Moja) wants to pick a fight with me. If he wants a rematch of 2017, let him come and we face in the Senate race,” Mandago said.
Buzeki is eyeing the county’s top seat as an independent candidate.
He was cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Saturday and addressed multiple rallies within Eldoret town.
The outgoing governor also challenged the police and other government agencies against being used to unfairly target politicians allied with opposing camps.
He insisted that as leaders in Uasin Gishu, they have committed to preaching peace and cohesion amongst all those that live in the county.
“For us, anyone is free to ask for votes here, irrespective of which party they are in,” Mandago said.
The UDA Senate candidate also hit out at the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) after it rated Uasin Gishu among high-risk counties in election-related violence ahead of the August 9 poll.
