Governor Benjamin Cheboi was among several incumbents who lost in the Jubilee nominations in Baringo on Tuesday.
Cheboi lost to former county Kenya National Union of Teachers secretary Stanley Kiptis during the peaceful primaries.
Supporters of Kiptis, who won by a landslide, took their celebrations to the streets following the announcement at the Kenya School of Government.
Kiptis beat Cheboi in nearly all the county’s polling stations. Cheboi’s administration has been accused of corruption, nepotism, incompetence, and being out of touch with the people.
In Baringo Central, Cheboi garnered 6,027 votes against Kiptis’s 15,261. In Mogotio, Cheboi got 4,964 votes while Kiptis had 13,805. Cheboi was also beaten in Eldama Ravine, which had been seen as his stronghold. He managed 6,182 votes against Kiptis’s 23,505.
Kiptis also led in Baringo South sub-county, where he garnered 12,017 votes against Cheboi’s 4,215.
Voters in Tiaty, save for two wards - Ripko and Loyamorok - were, however, denied a chance to participate in the nomination because of the ongoing security operation in the region to weed out bandits.
Shown the door
Others who were shown the door during the primaries were Woman Representative Grace Kiptui and MPs Sammy Mwaita (Baringo Central) and Hellen Sambili of Mogotio.
Sambili was trounced by Dr Daniel Tuitoek, a member of the National Environment and Management Authority, while Mwaita lost to lawyer David Kipkerich. Kiptui was beaten by Susan Chesyna, a director with Kenya Power.
MPs Moses Lessonet (Eldama Ravine), Grace Kipchoim (Baringo South), and Baringo North’s William Cheptumo, however, escaped what appeared to be an onslaught against incumbents.
The Eldama Ravine seat was hotly-contested, with Moses Lessonet garnering 10,934 votes to beat four challengers. His closest rival, Musa Sirma, had 9,478 votes. The other candidates were John Tissia, Taalam Zakayo, and Elijah Kimanyin.
In Bomet, Joyce Laboso will fly the Jubilee flag in the gubernatorial race after trouncing former Konoin MP Julius Kones.
She will face the incumbent, Isaac Ruto of Chama Cha Mashinani, who recently joined the opposition coalition NASA.
Bomet Central MP Ronald Tonui and his Chepalungu counterpart, Paul Bii Savimbi, won the primaries.
Woman Representative Cecilia Ngetich lost her bid for the Sotik parliamentary ticket to newcomer Dominick Koskei.
Konoin MP Sammy Koech lost narrowly to Brighton Yegon. It was the second time the two were facing off for the Konoin seat.
Simon Chelugui clinched the senatorial ticket, having garnered 22,564 votes, while Susan Chesire clinched the ticket for Woman Representative with 12,469 votes.
Reports from the Auditor-General’s office have for years questioned the expenditure of the Baringo county government. This might have contributed to Cheboi’s loss. There have been reports of suspect projects through which public funds were said to have been siphoned.
Ghost workers
Cheboi also faced questions over a Sh272 million scandal involving ghost workers in the county government.
The Auditor-General’s report also raised queries about the lack of visible development in the county despite disbursement of over Sh15 billion from the National Treasury over the past four years.
“It has been four wasted years without any visible development in the county and the vote was a protest against Cheboi and his administration,” said a resident, Nixon Kiprono.
