NICK SALAT AT THE RISK OF LOSING HIS BOMET SEAT?

By Kipsiele Arap Sugurut
Luocome, Kericho

A bruising battle is expected in Bomet Constituency when the rivalry between the two arch-rivals, incumbent MP Nick Salat and the former MP Kipkalia Kones would be renewed.

The two political giants in Kipsigis land will go full blast for each other’s throat during the forthcoming general elections later this year.

The situation will be seriously aggregated by the fact that both Kones and Salat have no love lost for each other. At one time during the electioneering campaign of 2002, Kones almost hit his youthful rival with a walking stick.

The hatred between the two Bomet politicians is deeply rooted, but this time around according to dependable sources in Bomet, the more than 45,000 registered voters plus will have difficult time in choosing the next Bomet MP.

The electorate, according to another source, have a hidden agenda and weapon with which they intend to bring the rivalry between Salat and Kones to an abrupt end.

Salat, the son of the late Bomet politician Isack Kipkorir Salat who served the previous "Nyayo" regimes as an Assistant Minister dominated Bomet politics for close to a decade. But the son will face several other creditable aspirants.

Salat won the seat in the year 2002 on a KANU ticket against Kones who contested the election on a FORD People party ticket. Salat was a pet project of the former President Daniel Arap Moi, who according to sources had placed a lot of logistic and other election resources in the hands of Salat, the son of his former Personal Assistant, the late Salat, who at one time also acted as KANU Supremo in Kipsigis land.

The youthful and excessive womanizer Salat, is being accused for poor leadership, mismanagement of government funds such as CDF, School Bursary Funds, HIV/AIDS Control Funds and Road Maintenance Funds.

The flamboyant MP, according to sources is not steadfast and has been switching political camps within KANU. He is said to be allied to Biwott faction but at one time turned up in the Uhuru Kenyatta led faction while his arch-rival Kones who is the national Chairman of FORD People is firmly entrenched in the ODM - - K.

Bomet politics at the moment is rapidly changing towards the ODM-K. It is therefore anybody's guesswork whether Salat would make it back to parliament against the ODM-K euphoria that has hit Bomet and other constituencies within the Kipsigis region like the Tonardo.

Bomet constituency has remained controversial ever since its inception in the early 1970s.

During his tenure in the cabinet, Kones is said to have stepped on the toes of many up-coming Kipsigis politicians and made many enemies even in the cabinet itself due to his excessive arrogance.

Among the aspirants is the Tenwek Mission Hospital CEO Stephen Kimutai. Also reported to be in the race is Mr. Erick Korir who is the Legal Manager of the James Finley Tea Company Ltd, Dr. Patrick Kirui, private medical practitioner in Nairobi, Mr. Kiplang'at Churuiyot, a secondary school teacher at Litein Secondary School in Bureti District, Mr. Samuel Maina who is the Human Resource Manager at KETEPA.

There is discontent between the voters within the two administrative divisions, namely Central and Longisa Divisions. All the previous MPs had come from Longisa Division and yet nobody has ever represented the interests of the inhabitants of the Central Division. This time around the electorate in the Central Division have vowed to vote for one of their own.

Originally Bomet was part of Chapalungu Constituency which was created in 1963 as one of the four constituencies in the once larger Kericho District. The others were Buret, Belgut, and Kericho East. Konoin was hived out of Buret while Ainamoi was created out of Belgut and Kipkelion out of the former Kericho East.

The first MP for the area was Kimenai Soi 1963 - 1969. He was later beaten by the late John Chaina (1969 - 1974). Chaina lost to the late Tamason Barmalei an ex-police officer (1979 - 1979). A new Bomet constituency was created in 1979 and Isack Salat won the seat while the Chapalungu seat was captured briefly by Kimunai Sai who represented the area until 1983. Salat died in office and then came the flamboyant powerman Kipkalia Kones.

Kones too had dominated the Kipsigis politics for close to a decade while serving the KANU regime in the powerful position of Minister of State in the OP in charge of National Defence and Internal Security.

Two senior lecturers at both Moi and Egerton Universities are seen to be in the process of joining the race but have yet to declare their interests in the parliamentary politics. Dr. Wilson Sitonik formerly in charge of the Government Computer System is also reportedly keen in contesting the same seat.

More aspirants are expected to join the race within the next few months.

The wave of the ODM-K are strong in Bomet.