EXPOSED: HOW DP Ruto HUMILIATES Energy CS Hon Keter in Kericho nominations as ally Sammy Chepkwony LOSES

Energy CS and the immediate Kericho senator Hon Charles Keter is nursing political injuries suffered from friendly fire in the just concluded Jubilee party nominations in which his favourite and preferred candidate Sammy Chepkwony lost.

The Kericho nominations provided a rare opportunity in which the two close friends Energy CS Hon Keter and DP William Ruto were in opposite camps. Whereas Hon Keter gave all his total best including ground networks and financial support to businessman Sammy Chepkwony the Deputy President silently channelled his support to the 29 year old former Moi University student leader Aaron Cheruyiot.

Hon Keter had to cut short his stay in the Hague where he had accompanied DP Ruto for a no case to answer hearing in the ICC to come and campaign for his pet project Sammy Chepkwony. DP Ruto through business magnate Mr Mburu (Bahati, Nakuru) and ground strategists Steve Kewa, Kiborek Reuben and Nixon sponsored the youthful Cheruyiot- the eventual winner.

A former Moi University student leader Aaron Cheruyiot (class of 2010) won the nominations with 17,565 votes while Chepkwony came in second with slightly over 17000 votes.

Hon Keter was not keen to support Aaron Cheruyiot for what now insiders say was a family relations issue, Aaron is a newphiew to the minister and he may have thought this his open support may balkanize the voters. Sammy Chepkwony is also a close ally of the DP but looks like he had briefed by local intelligence that Chepkwony was a light weight.

Former ODM cabinet minister Franklin Bett and immediate former ODM Executive Director Magerer Langat came third and fourth respectively with less than 15,000 votes.

Cheruyiot, a travel-entrepreneur, was the youngest among the candidates and will now face KANU’ Paul Sang. ODM has not yet indicated their candidate, so is Bomet Governor Isaac Rutto’s Mashinani Development Party.

Opposition to Jubilee Party in South Rift may have kept voters away.

The post EXPOSED: HOW DP Ruto HUMILIATES Energy CS Hon Keter in Kericho nominations as ally Sammy Chepkwony LOSES appeared first on Kenya Today.