Youthful leaders dare old guard in Baringo Senate race
By Wycliffe Kipsang, July 15, 2025The race to succeed late Baringo Senator William Cheptumo has intensified with the youth giving the old guard a run for their money in the battle to clinch the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket.
At least eight youthful aspirants are eyeing the UDA ticket. They are Daniel Kiptoo, Wycliffe Tobole, Victor Sumukwo Chepkunur, Linus Kamket, Vincent Chemitei, Felix Kiprono Chelaite, Emanuel Ngetuny and Evans Bett Mundulel.
The youth will have to battle it out with political heavyweights, among them Silas Tochim, Isaiah Kirukmet, Reuben Chepsongol and former Labour Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui, who are all eyeing the UDA ticket.
Also in the race to succeed Cheptumo are Gilbert G. Malema and KANU chairman Gideon Moi, the former holder of the position (2013-2022).
The candidates have been traversing the vast county as they rush against time to sell their agenda to the people ahead of the UDA primaries, with the youth vowing to turn the tables.
The youthful aspirants argue that the youth have, for a long time, been sidelined in leadership positions.
Opportunity to lead
According to Kiptoo, the youth have a lot to offer, and it’s time they are given an opportunity to lead.
“We have always been told that the time for us to lead is tomorrow, but the time to take the leadership mantle is now. I will sponsor bills that empower young people and women through enterprise support,” said Kiptoo.
Kiptoo, whose slogan is “Unity, Accountability and Prosperity for Baringo”, has also pledged to push for increased bursary allocations and the construction of more technical training institutes in the county.
“I will also partner with private and public institutions to offer mentorship, internships and jobs for our youth. Our County is blessed with vast natural resources, resilient people and untapped potential. Yet, year after year, we face challenges that threaten our unity, our livelihoods and our future,” Kiptoo told People Daily in an interview.
Tobole regretted that the county has lagged behind in development and pledged to push for increased funding to peace-building initiatives and community policing.
“Insecurity remains a major challenge. I will reach out to leaders from other communities to ensure that our people co-exist peacefully for any meaningful development to be realised,” said Tobole.
Chepkunur, another youthful aspirant, who was brought up in banditry-prone Bartabwa in Baringo North, said he has been inspired to vie for the seat to agitate for the rights of victims ravaged by banditry.
Banditry and security
Should he be elected, he has pledged to push for a Bill to ensure victims of banditry and insecurity are compensated by the state to start their lives afresh.
“Growing up in the insecurity-prone area, I have come face to face with rampant cases of insecurity, which have seen close friends and relatives lose their lives,” said Chepkunur.
The youthful aspirants have received a boost after a section of the youth threw their weight behind them.
“Every great accomplishment starts with a youthful dream, so the energy of youth is the driving force behind progress with determination and passion; youth can move mountains and if empowered, they are the catalysts for positive change,” said Billy Yatich, a youth leader.
“Leaders of today that the old leaders should not criticize the young people but act as models to encourage the new breed of the current paradigm shift,” added Yatich.
The race has intensified following the entry of outspoken politician Reuben Chepsongol.
Chepsongol’s entry into the Senatorial race will now mean President William Ruto-UDA will now have at least seven candidates to battle for the party’s ticket during the primaries.
Chepsongol has been an ardent defender of the Kenya Kwanza administration and has been vocal on various issues affecting the country.
This saw his efforts rewarded after he was appointed a Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) director by President Ruto.
Chepsongol, who unsuccessfully vied for the Baringo North parliamentary seat in the 2022 elections, said he is best suited for the Senatorial job.
“My first priority will be to reach out to all leaders in the county and sit down in an effort to find a lasting solution to the insecurity problem. We should find homegrown solutions to problems facing our county and speak in one voice,” Chepsongol said the former Bartabwa ward MCA.
Kirukmet, who came second to the late Cheptumo during UDA primaries in 2022 after garnering 45,681, is also considered another serious contestant. Cheptumo garnered 69,420 votes to emerge as the winner.
Kirukmet, who is an alumnus of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) on July 14, 2025, said he was the best-qualified candidate for the senate job.
“As we continue to celebrate the life and times of our late Senator Cheptumo, we should be alive to the fact that this political icon has left behind a very big gap in Baringo Leadership. The best man to fill the gap is none other than Kirukmet,” said Kirukmet.
Tochim, a former Tenges ward MCA and now the Director of Tourism Fund of Kenya, said that he has all it takes to be the next Baringo Senator due to his experience.
“Having served as a ward representative, I traversed the whole county, and I know the challenges our people are facing. Baringo has a huge potential in tourism, which, if fully tapped, can turn around the fortunes of our county,” said Tochim.
Though Chelugui has remained tight-lipped about whether he will vie for the seat or not, he has been traversing the vast county to agitate his agenda for the people. He is said to be eyeing the UDA ticket.
The former CS vied for the Baringo Senate seat in 2017 but lost to Kanu chairman Gideon.
The younger Moi, another political heavyweight, is said to be eyeing the seat he lost to Cheptumo in 2022. He is, however, yet to declare this publicly, though he has been attending functions after being out of the limelight for two years.
It’s yet to be known which party Malema, who has been a harsh critic of the Kenya Kwanza administration, will vie on.
He unsuccessfully vied for the Baringo North parliamentary seat in 2022. Joseph Makilap of UDA clinched the seat.
The by-election is set to be a major test of UDA’s dominance in Baringo and the broader Rift Valley region against the KANU onslaught, which is seeking to make a political comeback.
Cheptumo, a close ally to President Ruto, had served three terms as MP for Baringo North Constituency, and he passed on following a short illness in February 2025.