Seven gubernatorial aspirants eying the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket in Uasin Gishu County on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, held a meeting in Eldoret town ahead of the highly anticipated nominations.
During the meeting convened by UDA Uasin Gishu Coordinator Joseph Wainaina and Chairman Paul Kiprop, the aspirants agreed on a number of issues among them the need to support the winner of the party primaries.
The party has attracted 7 candidates eyeing the UDA ticket.
They are Soy Member of Parliament Caleb Kositany, immediate former ambassadors Prof. Julius Bitok and Sarah Serem, politician Jonathan Bii, immediate former Nairobi Devolution Executive Veska Kangogo, the current Ng’enyilel Member of County Assembly (MCA) David Sing’oei, and Solomon Kiptarbei alias ‘Gavana wa Baiskeli’.
“We are happy with the plans for the nominations and have agreed that we will talk to our supporters to accept whoever will win,” said Kositany.
The gubernatorial contest has seen a number of aspirants and their supporters create enmity against each other, especially between Bii popularly known as ‘Koti Moja’ and Amb. Bitok who has been pushing his campaign using the tag ‘Agenda ni Sita’.
But the aspirants now say they will maintain peace and unity before, during, and after the nomination.
UDA nominations will be held on April 14, 2022, in 34 counties across the country.
“We ask our supporters to avoid doing anything that will antagonize peace. Let’s respect each other. This is a competition, not about enmity,” said Amb. Bitok.
“My fellow aspirants, let us maintain peace and avoid monkey business,” he added.
The aspirants further affirmed the need for the UDA party to ensure the nomination is free, fair, and verifiable.
“We are here for one voice of peace. This county is bigger than ourselves and we must unite. Let’s forget that which separates us and unite to being peace agents,” Amb. Sarah Serem noted.
Similar sentiments were shared by Jonathan Bii who noted that Uasin Gishu being home to Deputy President William Ruto, there is a need for an orderly nomination, free of chaos.
“We want to put our county ahead of ourselves and maintain peace. This being home to the DP we must be united and whoever will win, it will have been the will of the people because all of us have campaigned across the county,” Bii noted.
Uasin Gishu is considered a UDA stronghold, and whoever wins the gubernatorial ticket, is almost assured of winning in the August 9 poll.
The winner of the UDA gubernatorial contest will face off billionaire businessman Bundotich Zedekiah Kiprop who is vying as an independent candidate and former Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) chief Executive Officer (CEO) William Kirwa who is vying for the seat on a United Democratic Movement (UDM) ticket.
[…] Gishu gubernatorial aspirants during a meeting in Eldoret on April 12, 2022, with UDA Uasin Gishu patron, coordinator, and Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi. Photo […]