The political scene in Kajiado South is electric after Deputy President William Ruto picked the treasurer of a group ranch to succeed area MP Katoo Ole Metito in 2022.
The endorsement of Olgulului- Olorarashi Group ranch treasurer Elijah Naini for the Kajiado South parliamentary seat had left UDA aspirants politically stranded.
The top aspirants Mwalimu Samuel Kutata and Benjamin Kool who have been on the campaign trail marketing Mr Ruto’s presidential bid and Mr Metito’s gubernatorial bid may have been shortchanged after a high stakes land deal at the group ranch which is being subdivided to members.
The deal to back Naini for the seat was struck at Oltukai Lodge on Sunday night after Mr Ruto’s arrival.
The Lodge is within the Olgulului -Olorarashi Group ranch which is being sub divided to members.
After the deal which has split the group officials, a plot was hatched to ensure Mr Ruto publicly indicates that his choice was Mr Naini, a renown blogger and formerly of ODM.
“The Naini team did not want Ruto to leave Kajiado South without fulfilling his part of the bargain of publicly elevating Naini above the rest of the Candidates. That is how the rally in Kimana town was hurriedly organized,” said an official of the group ranch present at the Sunday night meeting.
Mr Metito who has declared he will run for the Governorship on an UDA ticket also chipped in and reiterated he should also be elevated in his Kimana home town especially after the entry of Kajiado East MP Peris Tobiko for the UDA ticket.
“We did not want DP to just focus on Naini. We also wanted him to push Metito’s candidature,” said an official of the Kajiado South CDF Committee and an ally of the MP.
At the Kimana rally, DP Ruto did not disappoint, terming Naini as “Bazuu” a reference of a rich man.
The crowd responded affirmatively at the mention of Bazuu leaving no doubt who Mr Ruto’s preferred candidate for Kajiado South was.
The other candidates were left hanging in pick-ups un-noticed and for those mentioned, without any public approval.
Naini, the latest entrant in the race, has had his rise in Ruto’s corner in supersonic speed, with him only coming out as an UDA supporter a fortnight ago when he posed for a photo shoot at UDA headquarters last week.
With some officials claiming to have been sidelined in the land deal with Ruto, it remains to be seen how the mix of the group ranch subdivision and politics of Kajiado South will end.
Apart from the treasurer a.k.a Bazuu, other officials of the group ranch as per the Lands Registrar are Daniel Leturesh (Chairman),
Jackson Sereka ( Vice Chairman) and
Joseph Taani ( Secretary).