By Kurgat Marindany
As politicians realign themselves, and strategise for the 2022 election succession, an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) politician has poured cold water on and described as “self seeking” Governor Joseph Lenku’s unity strategy.
ODM politician Tarayia ole Kores, who says will be seeking to dethrone Lenku in the next general election claimed the Governor is attempting to “justify his 2017 win” by “buying out” opposition politicians.
“We in ODM still believe the former governor David Nkedianye won that election. Lenku’s win was generated by computer,” Kores alleged, adding: “I am telling him that the 2022 governor race will not be a walk in the park,” claimed Kores.
Kajiado Central MP, Kanchory Memusi did not confirm or deny claims he is also vying for the governor seat in 2022.
When we asked for his comment, he said: “As I have severally said in public, elected leaders should focus on their mandate. My mandate for now is to serve the people of Kajiado Central to the best of my ability. I will also support the governor deliver on his mandate.”
But while responding to Kore’s remarks, an ally of Governor Lenku, Ibrah Kantet said; “that is always expected of Kores. We are not perturbed by such statements attributed of him, and we can’t be drawn into such attentions and politics that might drive us into election moods.”
Kantet said Governor Lenku’s concern is to unite the people of Kajiado, steer development, cohesion and deliver his manifesto promises to the people of Kajiado.
“Our governor noted that the last general election threatened the unity of the people in the region. He started reaching out to all those who opposed him to show them that in politics there is no permanent enmity. You have seen him build an all inclusive government,” note Kantet.
Kantet alluded that the governor loves his people, and Kores is one of them, noting that the next election is quite far away, hence the need to focus on building roads, hospitals and providing water to the people.
Lenku had earlier said that President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga handshake came long after he initiated good relations with those who opposed him in the last election.
He said the handshake from the two national leaders has healed the country and allowed leaders to focus on development.
Kores said he is not opposed to Uhuru and Raila handshake, but that does not mean Lenku should not be challenged in the 2022 general election.
“That Raila/Uhuru handshake is theirs with their people. I am for referendum and Lenku is opposed to that. I have never sat down with him on one table, and I will not,” said Kores.
He said he is for a referendum that will enable Kajiado Maasai fight for their resources and empower them economically.
“We in ODM are saying that we want Amboseli land to be returned to the Maasai, we are also asking for our 220, 000 acres of Magadi land that was snatched by the British, we also want to resolve the age-long boundary dispute between Narok and Kajiado and the boundary between Makueni and Kajiado to be returned to the old railway line,” he said.
The politician claimed that the last Bomas draft on the constitution had a provision that says “if the people of the county are threatened by the numbers of immigrants, an electoral college should be established to elect a governor”.
He said Kajiado had 25 wards, and five of them have been taken away by members of one ethnic group in Kajiado North Sub County.
“We want to change that trend. There are more than 45 tribes in Kajiado and we want to divide the leadership of those wards to be shared. We want to give them to be shared by Kisii, Kalenjin, Kikuyu, Luo and Kamba. It should not be dominated by one ethnic group as if other tribes are not humans,” said Kores.
Asked how he will make it in 2022 and yet all the opposition leaders have moved to Jubilee Party, Kore said; “Those leaders left independently leaving behind voters. I have the voters who had voted for Nkedianye. They will vote for me, I have no doubt about that.”