Ainabkoi MP William Chepkut has expressed his intentions to run for the 2022 Uasin Gishu gubernatorial race. Chepkut through his Twitter account observed that he was ripe for the race and asked his followers to rate him together with former aspirant Bundotich Zedekiah Kiprop BUZEKI.
Uasin Gishu County governor’s seat will be up for grab in 2022 after the expiry of Mandago’s second term which is coming to an end in 2022. Chepkut who is a first-time Member of parliament in Ainabkoi Constituency defied all odds in 2017 to defeat the then Constitution and Home Affairs chairman Samuel Chepkong’a who was seen as the most preferred candidate to retain the seat.
Chepkut vied for the seat on an independent ticket after his victory in Jubilee party nominations was revoked giving Samuel Chepkong’ the ticket instead.
“I think I’m ripe to run for Uasin-Gishu gubernatorial race. Between me and Buzeki @BuzekiKiprop , who do you think will clinch the seat by 10AM come August 2022?” posed Chepkut.
https://twitter.com/Chepkut_William/status/1133298702762860545
Recently, Chepkut praised businessman Zedekiah Bundotich Kiprop (Buzeki) for quitting Deputy President William Ruto’s camp.
According to the MP, Buzeki has a huge following among the masses in the county and that Buzeki did not need William Ruto’s support to clinch the seat. Untill his recent tweet, Chepkut has been on the forefront rooting for Buzeki’s governorship in the county.
https://twitter.com/Chepkut_William/status/1123289411721027585
Earlier on, the now vocal MP tweeted that he was not in any hurry to express his intentions for the seat but maintained that he was concentrating on serving his constituents till 2022 when the people of Uasin Gishu will decide.
Chepkut added that he was ready to wait for the coming years, 2027 and even 2032 if he does not succeed in his 2022 ambitions.
“I am not in a hurry to be a Governor. I am patient with leadership because I want to serve my people with honesty. If come 2022 and the people of Uasin Gishu feel they are not ready for my kind of leadership there’s still 2027, 2032 and so forth…”
https://twitter.com/Chepkut_William/status/1133256288673161216
Chepkut was a strong Personal Assistant to former cabinet minister the late Nicholas Biwott.
“Biwott has made me who I am today and I respect him a lot,” he says, scarcely hiding his pride. “He is like my father and mentor. Within the Rift Valley, he was referred to as the power behind Biwott.
He has several cars at his disposal but Chepkut regularly crisscrosses Ainabkoi on a motorcycle or on foot just as he used to do during his childhood. He usually quotes the Bible: “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?”
So far Two serious candidates have declared their interests to run for the county’s top seat; Bundotich Zedekiah alias Buzeki and Kenya’s Ambassador to Pakistan Julius Bitok. Bitok ran for the first time in 2013 but lost to the incumbent Governor Jackson Mandago in the nominations.