By Kipkorir Chang'toek
Kinyoro ward Member of County Assembly (MCA) Andrew Kibet Kipekee has hit out at Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago, his Nandi counterpart Samson Cherargei and Members of Parliament David Kiplagat (Soy) and Julius Ruto (Kesses) for their sustained attack on Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen.
Speaking to the press at Kitale Town in Trans Nzoia County, Kipekee accused the four leaders of plotting to bring down Murkomen, who rose from being the first Senator of Elgeyo Marakwet to being the first Kalenjin leader to hold the powerful cabinet ministry of Interior. The vocal MCA claimed the politicians are worried about being rendered politically irrelevant in Rift Valley by Murkomen’s rising star.
“President William Ruto picked Murkomen because he is a loyal servant. What we know is that you are all fighting him because of the Kalenjin community succession politics,” Kipekee said.
The self-declared Murkomen defender dared the four North Rift politicians to a tough political duel going forward.
“Before you deal with Murkomen, we will have dealt with you because he is doing a good job and we are going to give him our maximum support,” added the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) MCA.
Are North Rift politicians fighting Murkomen?
He labelled them as former Deputy President and Democracy for Citizens Party Leader Rigathi Gachagua sympathisers in the Rift Valley region. The ward representative asked ageing politicians led by Mandago to allow upcoming politicians to thrive in politics.
“You tried to sabotage Kapseret Constituency Member of Parliament, Oscar Sudi. You also tried to bring down Mogotio MP, Reuben Kiborek, but you failed terribly,” he added.
Mandago, Cherargei, Kiplagat and Ruto have been accusing Murkomen of engaging in 2032 succession politics at the expense of national security. Recently, Murkomen took a swipe at Mandago, accusing him of failing to deliver when he served as the first Governor of Uasin Gishu County.
Mandago later responded and asked the CS to allow him to do his oversight role without any form of interference. Kiplagat and Ruto, on the other hand, said Murkomen should not meddle with Uasin Gishu County affairs and should instead focus on his ministerial duties. Senator Cherargei has always maintained that Murkomen is an incompetent Cabinet Secretary and that he should be relieved of his duties.
