This archive report was first published on 2 August 2019.
August 2, 2019
Joseph Ole Lenku, the governor of Kajiado County, is facing a major crisis as trusted allies, including some from his own Ilaitayiok clan, defect to his main opponent, former governor David Nkedianye.
Leading the mass exodus are influential allies from the east, where several high-ranking officials have abandoned Lenku in recent weeks. Among those who have defected are David Parseina, David Nkirrimpai, Kisemei Marush, and Nixon Karaine, all of whom are from Lenku's Ilaitayiok clan.
Although they have not yet aligned themselves with a specific political formation, Lenku's rebellious allies are reportedly courting Nkedianye, who lost to Lenku in the 2018 elections. Key players have hinted that they will back Nkedianye in the 2022 elections if he decides to reclaim his seat.
Parseina, an unsuccessful aspirant for the Kajiado East parliamentary seat, has been the most outspoken of the dissenting lot, with youth leader Billy Murray promising to help vanquish Lenku in 2022. Others who have defected include Michael Makui and Maurice Karokia, as well as former ward rep aspirants Solomon Oloishorua, Emily Sianto, and David Moloma.
The defectors accuse Lenku of giving Kajiado East residents empty promises, particularly regarding water supply, and of engaging in malpractices such as skewed bursary allocation. They also claim that Lenku has been sponsoring police harassment of local leaders and youths critical of his administration.
Among those who have recently been victims of arbitrary police harassment on the orders of the governor are Kajiado East MP Peris Tobiko and Kenyewa MCA Henry Kimiti. Other contentious issues revolve around revenue collection and ward development allocation, which have not been commensurate with the current allocation from the National Treasury.
