Kalenjin Council of Elders also referred to as Myoot led by its Chair Retired Major John Seii is set to give political direction the community will take ahead of 2022 general elections.
Speaking during Madaraka day celebrations at 64 stadium on Saturday, the elders observed that the community’s unity is paramount and the elders have been tasked with providing political directions in every move they take.
This comes after emerging reports indicated that there is a rift in the region with some of the leaders reading from different scripts one led by the Deputy President William Ruto another one by Baringo Senator Gideon Moi as well as former Bomet governor Isaac Ruto.
The remarks by Seii led group come shortly after a section of Keiyo Council of Elders together with some of their Nandi counterparts in Uasin Gishu, separately approved a decision by businessman cum politician Zedekiah Kiprop Bundotich (popularly known as Buzeki) to ditch Jubilee party for Isaac Ruto’s Chama Cha Mashinani CCM party
The Keiyo elders also installed Buzeki as their community’s spokesman to replace the last Keiyo spokesman, the late Nicholas Kipyator Biwott who died in July 2017. The elders also blessed him assuring of full support in his bid for the county’s governors seat.
Seii observed that such political tactics displayed by their fellow elders will only serve to cause disunity in the community.
“The decision by the few individuals to crown a certain politician the spokesperson of the community was not a decision of the whole community. Those supporting the move by the said politician to another party do not have the support of the whole community,” declared Major Seii who is also a member of the building bridges initiative, (BBI).
The elders observed that Uasin Gishu county is a cosmopolitan county with Kalenjins as the majority and that any political decision made will have some direct impact on the minorities.
“If the political decision the Kalenjin community takes will be good, we will all be happy, if it will be bad, it will adversely affect everybody,” said Seii
The elders in the community have been viewed as the final decision makers and every decision they make rarely faces any objections as this would attract bad omens on those trying to oppose the decisions.
The elders added that they will align all their decisions to good co-existence between the Kalenjin community and all other communities living in the Rift Valley to avoid contradictions that might breach the existing peace and stability in the region.
“We don’t want groupings where a few individuals meet and purportedly declare an individual the spokesman of the Kalenjin community or decide that a certain politician leads the community to a political party,” said Seii.
His sentiments were also supported by Uasin Gishu deputy governor Daniel Chemno who dismissed Buzeki’s move to CCM and his purported installment as a Keiyo spokesman saying Buzeki sensed he will be defeated if he runs for the Governors’ seat in Uasin Gishu in 2022.
“The people of Uasin Gishu are firmly in Jubilee and should not accept to be misled to disembark from an SGR running on two engines to scrap without an engine nor tyres,” said the DG.
Chepno is said to be among those eyeing to succeed his boss Jackson Mandago after his second term expires in 2022. Others who have also expressed interests for the county’s top seat includes Kenya’s ambassador to Pakistan Julius Bitok, Soy MP Caleb Kositany together with businessman Chelilim.