Following the conclusion of party primaries, the picture is now clear on who will be vying for which seat and on which political vehicle ahead of the upcoming general election.
In Uasin Gishu, the picture is also clear on who will be flying the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) tickets for all the seats.
And after the UDA nominations, a number of aspirants opted to go independent, protesting what they termed unfair exercise.
We take a look at all the aspirants that will be vying as independent candidates in Uasin Gishu for the Member of Parliament, Senate, and Governor seats;
Terry Maina
After failing to win the UDA nominations for the Ainabkoi MP seat, Terry Maina, a former chairperson of the Kenya Girl Guides Association has opted to go for the seat as an independent candidate.
She will be battling the UDA nominee who is also a former MP Samuel Chepkonga and National Vision Party’s William Cheraisi.
Stephen Kewa
Kewa unsuccessfully vied for the Kapseret MP seat in 2017 but lost to the incumbent Oscar Sudi at the Jubilee party primaries level.
In the August 9 poll, the businessman opted to seek the seat as an independent candidate, and he did not participate in the UDA nominations.
Pauline Tuwei
During the UDA nominations, Pauline Tuwei finished second with 4,200 votes behind Sudi who had over 13,000 votes.
The former Kapseret/Simat Member of County Assembly (MCA) has however opted to go independent, with claims that the vocal MP rigged the nomination.
Frank Murgor
This is another candidate seeking to unseat Sudi in Kapseret. Murgor was initially in UDA but bolted out, expressing concerns that the nominations would not be free and fair.
Silas Tiren
Silas Tiren is the current Moiben Member of Parliament. He has served in the last two terms and is seeking a third term – but this time around as an independent candidate.
Tiren first won the seat on a United Republican Party (URP) ticket, before being re-elected on a Jubilee ticket.
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But going into the next poll, the MP says he would rather vie as an independent to avoid previous challenges of having to fight with party officials to get the ticket.
He will be battling UDA nominee Prof. Phyllis Bartoo.
Dr. Swarup Mishra
Currently serving as the MP for Kesses, Dr. Mishra is another sitting legislator who has opted to go independent.
He was elected in 2017 on a Jubilee party ticket, but with a majority of leaders in the party moving to UDA, the MP chose not to be associated with any political party.
In the August 9 poll, Dr. Mishra will be facing former Uasin Gishu County Finance Executive CPA Julius Ruto who is the UDA nominee.
Robert Kemei
Broadcaster Robert Arap Kemei is seeking the Uasin Gishu Senate seat. He finished third in the UDA nominations – but protested the results claiming the winner, Governor Jackson Mandago unfairly won.
This will be the second time Kemei is vying for the Senate seat, having lost to Prof. Margaret Kamar in the 2017 Jubilee party primaries.
Kipchumba Karori
The youthful lawyer finished second, behind Mandago in the race for the Uasin Gishu UDA senate ticket.
He also rejected the nomination results, filed a case before the party’s disputes committee which was thrown out for lack of merit, and had reportedly agreed to back Mandago, before backtracking to join the race.
Prof Margaret Kamar
The current Senator had been silent for a while on which seat he would vie and on which party. She however later opted to defend the seat as an independent candidate, in fear of victimization should she remain in the Jubilee party – which is arguably unpopular in Uasin Gishu.
Prof. Kamar who is also the Senate Deputy Speaker will have to battle Mandago – the UDA nominee and Karori as well as Kemei for the seat.
Bundotich Zedekiah Kiprop alias Buzeki
For the second election running, Buzeki is vying for the Uasin Gishu gubernatorial seat as an independent candidate.
He failed in his first attempt in 2017, and in the August 9 poll, he will be facing UDA nominee Jonathan Bii Chelilim alias Koti Moja.
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