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| Alex Kosgey [Photo || Nation] |
The younger Kosgey stunned the public at a Jubilee rally
in Kilibwoni, Nandi, when he threw his support behind his father’s
rival, Stephen Sang, who is running for the seat on a URP ticket.
The junior Kosgey is running for the Emgwen parliamentary seat on a URP ticket.
The candidate told the crowd the region needs youthful
politicians who are technologically savvy and energetic to steer
development and improve livelihoods.
“Leadership in these times requires youthful leaders who
have the skills and ideas to work under the devolved system of
governance. That is why I choose to throw my weight behind my agemate
and not my father,” Mr Kosgey said amid cheers from the crowd.
The move by the 31-year-old economics graduate from
Manchester University in the United Kingdom is a blow to the minister’s
political ambitions.
It will be interesting to see how the kinship ties between
father and son unfold, although Mr Kosgey junior has reiterated that
his divergent views will not affect his relations with his father.
The minister is facing stiff competition from Mr Sang, a lawyer young enough to be his son.
The 37-year-old expects to ride the popularity of URP leader William Ruto to claim the seat.
The elder Kosgey, who turns 67 in July, was disgruntled
after Prime Minister Raila Odinga overlooked him and instead chose
Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka as his running mate.
But Mr Kosgey stuck with the party and chose to run for
the Senate seat instead. He is also on the party’s nomination list in
case he fails in his bid.
The minister was among the key pointmen from the Rift
Valley who remained loyal to the PM after Mr Ruto led a rebellion of MPs
from the region after falling out with Mr Odinga.
Immediately after the deadline for forming coalitions and
depositing the agreements with the electoral commission, a sullen Mr
Kosgey held a meeting with the URP leader, and speculation was rife he
would ditch the ODM party.
Besides opposition from his son, the younger Mr Kosgey
faces yet another daunting task of bucking the URP tide sweeping across
the region with its leader advocating a six-piece voting pattern.
Last year, the International Criminal Court gave a
reprieve to the former Tinderet MP after it cleared him of crimes
against humanity charges over the post-election violence.
The minister was also facing abuse of office charges in
the Industrialisation ministry, which forced him to step aside to pave
way for investigations.
He was later cleared and got back his job.
Before the Tenth Parliament was dissolved last month, the
Industrialisation minister was the second longest serving MP after
President Mwai Kibaki, having been first elected in 1979.
He has served in ministerial dockets in the Moi and Kibaki administrations.
The minister is also facing a silent backlash from the
Nandi community amid reports that his elder son Allan who represented
him at The Hague was tipped to succeed him as the MP.
elections.nation.co.ke
elections.nation.co.ke
