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Deputy President William Ruto and Azimio-One Kenya presidential candidate Raila Odinga have made more than a dozen trips to Narok county in less than three months.

With about 400,000 registered voters, Narok is perceived to be a swing vote county in the South Rift region, with the never-ending Maasai Mau Forest politics taking centre stage in the campaigns.

Local politicians have been invoking Raila’s 2010 stance in defence of the Mau Forest as a champion of Maasai rights.

The cosmopolitan county is dominated by the Maasai but has a significant Kipsigis population mainly in the Southern part as well as Kisii and Kikuyu communities. In the last election, Narok voted largely for the Jubilee duo of President Uhuru Kenyatta and Kenya Kwanza presidential flagbearer William Ruto.

However, there appears to be a spirited effort to return to Raila’s corner being spearheaded by Narok North MP Moitalel ole Kenta, Senator Ledama ole Kina and Environment Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko.

Narok contributes to the more than 6.6 million votes in 15 battleground counties in the region. Based on recent political trends and previous presidential results, Narok, Kakamega, Kwale, Kilifi, Tana River, Lamu, Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Marsabit, Isiolo, Kajiado, Turkana, Samburu and Nairobi are swing-counties with a cumulative 6,664.368 votes.

Factors at play in this year’s Narok elections will be clan and ethnic inclinations as well as local burning issues including management of revenue from the world-famous Maasai Mara Game Reserve.

Raila and his running-mate Martha Karua have been in the county five times for a series of political rallies. Raila has toured constituencies believed to be his strongholds. He was hosted byKenta and Kina.

Mega rally

The Azimio brigade has held rallies in Kilgoris, Enoosaen and Lolgorian in Kilgoris constituency, Aitong, Naroosura in Narok West, Ololulunga and Loita in Narok South, Narok Town. These regions are believed to be ODM strongholds. Karua was also in Nairagie Enkare on Monday.

Last month, Raila toured Narok South and Narok North and held rallies in Loita, Entasekera and Naroosura. They ended in a mega rally at the William ole Ntimama Stadium in Narok town, before he returned last week to grace the manifesto launch of Narok West constituency candidate Tipapa ole Kirokorr alias ‘Joho’ at his Aitong Home.

In his forays, Raila’s strategy is to portray the Ruto-led Kenya Kwanza coalition as corrupt, incompetent and not concerned by the plight of the pastoral communities. Ole Kina has told the community that Raila will address land matters, Maasai Mau Forest conservation and the Maasai Mara revenue dispute.

“As a community, we are safe in Raila’s hands. All our votes are for Raila since we are assured of the protection of natural resources, land and security of our people,” said Kenta.

In 2013, Jubilee and Coalition for Reforms and Democracy shared the votes almost equally in Narok. Raila had an upper hand and garnered 118,623 (50 per cent) of the total votes against President Uhuru’s 109,413 (46 per cent).

This is despite Jubilee scooping all the five parliamentary seats through the then Ruto affiliate United Republican Party. It is only Emurua Dikirr’s MP Johana Ng’eno, who won on a Kenya National Congress ticket.

Again in the 2017 General Election, Jubilee maintained its hold of Narok despite the widespread notion that the region was an Opposition stronghold. Raila’s ODM only won three parliamentary seats in the entire Maa community – Kajiado Central (Kanchory Memusi), Narok North (Ole Kenta) and the Narok Senate seat (Ole Kina).

Big following

Jubilee retained four of the six parliamentary seats except for Kenta who recaptured his seat on an ODM ticket and Narok West Gabriel ole Tongoyo, which went to Chama Cha Mashinani.

On May 20, hardly a week after Raila’s tour, Ruto was in the county to attend Governor Samuel Tunai’s launch of his campaign for the Senate on May 27, at the William ole Ntimama Stadium.

Ruto, who also attended the launch of the gubernatorial candidate Patrick ole Ntutu, thanked Narok residents for hugely voting for Jubilee in the 2017 and 2013 elections.

He urged them to rally behind Kenya Kwanza and ensure they win the presidency in the August 9 polls. He also commended Narok Women Rep Soipan Tuya, Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo and Korei Lemein for accepting to drop their bids and unanimously agreed to support former Labour Chief Administrative Secretary Patrick Ntutu, who will face off with Kenta in the gubernatorial race.

Ruto boasts of a big following from Narok West with 66,596 voters, Narok South (76,065) and Emurua Dikirr (44,040) and part of Kilgoris constituency like Angata Barikoi (10,634) and Keyian (10,241).

It is also believed that Raila commands a huge following in Narok North with 88,665 voters and Narok East (46,535).

Governor Tunai, Ruto’s chief campaigner in the county and Kudate are working round the clock to deny Azimio all parliamentary seats. Tunai is leading a team of MPs and banging on their development record to woo voters.

The outgoing county boss says the region requires a team of leaders whose main agenda was to unite all the tribes residing in the county