Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

The race for Kericho’s Senate seat is a fairly straight-forward affair: It is a battle between young candidates who appear to have assumed greater interest in this seat as older members of the society focus on other elective positions.

Although incumbent Aaron Cheruiyot had a clear sight on retaining the seat some months ago, that view appears to have been blurred in recent weeks as another young hopeful Queenas Chepkemoi alias Roriat has emerged almost from nowhere, attracting the attention of voters in the county.

The other candidate is Brian Keter of independence party Kanu. 

Chepkemoi entered the race fairly late having only made public her intention to replace Cheruiyot last February.

She has, however, managed to capture the attention of voters in the county through her moniker, Roriat, which means a heifer in English.  Cheruiyot, 36, is seeking a third term although he has only served for seven years having joined the House in March 2016 via a by-election occasioned by the appointment of then Senator Charles Keter to the Cabinet.

Oversight role

He easily defended the seat a year later in the August 2017 General-Election but this time round he has been nudged into action following the emergence of the young Chepkemoi who is  focussing her campaigns on Cheruiyot’s alleged poor performance in his oversight role.  

When she launched her campaigns, Chepkemoi, who hails from Ainamoi, said it was time for the county to get a representative who will put their energy and focus on the county rather than on national affairs.

“I have heard your cry, I have heard your woes, I have heard your wishes and above all I have heard your pain and agony. It’s the pain of not being given what’s rightfully yours, many have been neglected, you have been kept in the dark for long but your redemption is coming; cry no more, for liberation has come, it is going to be a fair regime,” she said when she launched her campaigns.

She said she chose ‘Roriat’ as her tag name because a heifer represents good fortunes and better supply of milk for the health of the county. “Some have been asking me why I am being called Roriat but this is a county of milk and honey and this is what we are seeking to achieve. Roriat is a representation of that,” she said.

Kericho is predominantly occupied by Kipsigis, the biggest Kalenjin subtribe with milk, including the locally fermented product mursik, making a regular appearance in their menus.  

“I will always be available. I will not go and stay in Nairobi. I will be going to the Senate and hurry back here. We will be meeting regularly and agree on how to improve our lives,” said Chepkemoi, who was cleared last week to run by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Kanu’s Keter is seeking to cause a surprise in a UDA-dominated county. He is also a youthful hopeful who believes he can win the seat despite vying on a party affiliated to Azimio One Kenya Alliance. He has asked voters to look at the personalities of those seeking office instead of their parties.

 “As we approach elections we should make decisions on progressive leadership based on merit, integrity for the benefit of Wanjiku,” said Keter.

He accused Cheruyiot of failing to perform his duties and promises better leadership if elected. 

“Our county government has failed to deliver on its mandate of providing basics for the residents and this calls for an active Senate leadership to provide checks and balances in the county,” he added.    

Cheruiyot, who hails from Belgut, has down-played her challenge as he seeks to capitalise on his closeness to the DP and UDA’s popularity in the county to defend his seat. The senator is among a group of young lawmakers coalescing around Ruto who have been popularising his presidential candidature around the country and various media platforms. Others in the group are senators Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo-Marakwet), Samson Cherargei (Nandi), MPs Ndindi Nyoro (Kiharu) and Nelson Koech (Bureti) among others.

National forays

Senator Cheruiyot has often appeared on political TV shows promoting and defending Ruto and Kenya Kwanza’s policies and is presently part of political analysts on a TV channel.

In spite of this, his rivals have accused him of focusing much on TV shows and nurturing a friendship with the DP saying he had forgotten his role as a senator. They have linked his alleged aloofness to county affairs to his national forays and TV appearances claiming massive funds had been embezzled in the county as he turned a blind eye.  He has dismissed the allegations.

He has also gained support from the churches for overseeing the formation of a pastors’ welfare programme that has since mutated into a Sacco.

Last year, he became one of the first  MPs from the South Rift to have a new law associated with him. He sponsored the Tea Bill signed into law by President Uhuru Kenyatta last year. Tea is the county’s main cash crop.

“Kericho rises and falls on tea. Each time the sector is on an upward trajectory, the same can be said of our county’s economy,” said the senator.