Elgeyo Marakwet Senate race: Tim Kipchumba, Jerotich Seii ditch UDA after missing ticket

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has cleared Tim Kipchumba and Jerotich Seii to vie for the Elgeyo Marakwet Senate seat in the by-election slated for next month.

Kipchumba is contesting under The Party for Peace and Development (a Kenya Kwanza affiliate Party) while Seii will fly the Safina Party flag in the race.

The two previously sought the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party ticket in the race but lost to former Marakwest West MP William Kisang in the primaries last week.

"We are still in the race. Thank you, Safina Party, for enabling me to float away to safety from the UDA party primaries in Elgeyo Marakwet County. I remain a stalwart supporter of H.E. @WilliamsRuto and the mission of Kenya Kwanza. This isn't on him," Seii wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.

Kipchumba on his part, in a statement, said: “This by-election is an opportunity for Elgeyo Marakwet to see the ethos of our president, where every hustler deserves a fair chance. We have total faith in the credibility of IEBC to deliver a fair and credible election, similar to the August 9th Elections."

The real estate developer together with Seii now join in the race with three other contestants cleared by the IEBC to succeed CS Murkomen.

Kipchumba has since assured his supporters that if elected, he will work with the government to promote development in the county.

“On successful election, I will work with my colleagues in the Senate to streamline the process of nominations, in the Elections Act, to ensure that no other young potential leader will be denied an equal chance to lead this nation," he stated.

During the nominations held on November 26, 2022, Kisang garnered 28,126 votes ahead of Kipchumba's 26,756 votes and Jonah Tanui came third with 26,735 votes.

Thereafter, Kipchumba and Tanui rejected the outcome of the polls claiming that the nomination exercise was not transparent.