Sunday, June 17, 2012

Biwott adopts ‘secretive’ strategy in political comeback


Former Cabinet minister and Keiyo South MP, Nicholas Kipyator Biwott, is staging a comeback after a stint in the cold.
The MP is eyeing the Elgeyo/Marakwet senate seat and has launched a series of campaigns to popularise his National Vision Party (NVP) countrywide to woo supporters ahead of the General Election.
 Mr Biwott is increasingly making forays into the Rift Valley and other parts of the country to popularise NVP. Political analyst Philip Chebunet says the former Cabinet minister seems to be capitalising on areas where the ‘big’ parties have failed.
 “His dancing alone on stage may still keep him busy in the political arena. He wants to sponsor his own candidates to remain afloat in the political arena,” said the Narok University lecturer.  Biwott, fondly referred to as ‘Total Man’, lost the Keiyo South seat during the 2007 ODM euphoria. He had held the seat since 1979.
Biwott raised eyebrows last week when he picked on the National Cohesion and Integration Commission Chairperson Mzalendo Kibunjia to preside over NVP fundraising dinner on Wednesday at Panafric hotel in Nairobi. Biwott replicated the move at a national fundraiser dinner held in Eldoret on Friday evening last week in Uasin Gishu County. The dinner was presided over by NCIC commissioner Lawrence Bomet and was followed by the launch of party office in Iten on Saturday.
 This was seen as an effort to raise the party’s profile whose membership is targeted to cut across the country.
Lukoye Atwoli, a lecturer at Moi University and political analyst, says Biwott is a secretive juggler, making it very difficult to read his moves.
 “He is a very difficult person to read. He appears as though he is going for the senate seat at the moment but you can never conclusively tell what he and his party are up to,” he says.
 “We do not even know who they will be fronting as their presidential candidate and should not thus be surprised if they pull a surprise,” he added.
 Iten/Tambach Town Council Councillor Zacharia Kokoi says the former MP deserves the senate seat since he boosted the region’s economic status during his tenure.   He says: “Biwott is the second Kalenjin with the largest following within the community after Eldoret North MP William Ruto and former President Moi.”

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