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Members of the Sabaot community in Trans Nzoia county have lauded the resignation of immediate Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya who is eyeing to succeed Governor Patrick Khaemba as Trans Nzoia governor.

While addressing the press in Kitale town, elders from the community led by former Kitale Municipality Deputy Mayor Pius Arap Kauka congratulated Natembeya for taking a bold step by resigning as a government officer to step into a political contest.

As Natembeya joins the Trans Nzoia gubernatorial race, the elders demanded that he chooses a running mate from the community if he wanted their votes in the August elections. They however demanded that Natembeya picks his running mate from the community.

“While we appreciate his bold step, we the Sabaots will be glad if he (Natembeya) awards us the position of Deputy Governor in reciprocation of our votes,” Kauka said.

Kauka said his community is fully behind Natembeya’s candidature based on his performance as an administrator and his clear blueprint for transforming Trans Nzoia’s economy.

“It is in the public domain that Natembeya is a performance and development-oriented leader. His track record from the time he was a junior administration officer speaks for itself” he noted.

Another elder, Meshack Mesarunya said that they hope Natembeya will fix their county if he clinches power by curbing corruption and streamlining service delivery.

“We know him as a no-nonsense person whose integrity is beyond reproach. With him, we expect to see proper utilization of resources,” Mesarunya said.

He further called on members of their community to vote for leaders based on the quality of their leadership abilities and their visions.