This archive report was first published on 13 July 2019.
Published on July 13, 2019, the politics of Trans Nzoia have been a complex tale of alliances, defeats, and strategies. In the 2013 polls, Patrick Khaemba won the governor's seat, but some wonder if he would have succeeded if he hadn't aligned himself with the Ford-Kenya party.
Did Kakai Bisau's failure to clinch the seat in 2013 stem from his sponsorship by the defunct New Ford Kenya? And why did he lose to Khaemba in 2017 after linking up with the powerful Jubilee party?
Even after veteran politician Noah Wekesa ditched FK and moved to Raila Odinga's ODM, he couldn't amass half of Khaemba's over 100,000 votes in 2013 to win the gubernatorial office.
Janet Nangabo's win in the Trans-Nzoia women rep seat on NFK in 2013 raises questions about why Bisau, who had pulled resources together and rallied behind Eugene, lost.
Fast-forward to 2017, Khaemba did it again against Bisau, who had changed alliance to Jubilee party after NFK merged with Jubilee. For the senatorial seat, Mike Mbito, Bisau's running mate in 2013, beat FK's Henry Ole Ndiema, leading to another question: Why did the voting pattern change from FK's gubernatorial victory to the senator's?
Joshua Kuttuny's Jubilee victory in Cherangany constituency against FK's Patrick Simiyu on his second try highlights the complex dynamics at play. MP Wesley Korir's independent candidacy didn't work, but Simiyu has vowed to turn the tables in 2022.
Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa's win in 2017, despite Jubilee's Robert Pukose's victory in Endebess, shows that personal interactions and finances also play a significant role in Trans Nzoia's politics.
