Former Keiyo South MP Jackson Kiptanui ( Photo Courtesy)
For 28 years, Nicholas Biwott was literally the king of Elgeyo Marakwet politics. So powerful was he that he had President Daniel Arap Moi's ear.
To many, the "Total Man" as he was popularly called was the second most powerful man in Kenya after President Moi.
The fact that he had managed to represent Keiyo South constituency for 28 years confirms how dominant he was.
Even after Moi left power in 2002, Biwott stayed put. Even though the Narc wave had swept most of the KANU remnants, the smart political survivor managed to sneak back to Parliament, this time round as a backbencher.
After three decades of dominance, Biwott finally ran out of luck in 2007. As the biblical David, little-known Jackson Kiptanui went into the contest trying to do what his predecessors had failed to achieve- to oust the "Total Man".
When the final results were announced, Biwott had lost an election for the first time in 28 years. The Goliath had been floored by a novice. That marked the end of the former powerful minister in Kenyan politics. He died in 2017.
Kiptanui, the giant killer, went on to defend his seat in 2013 before losing to Daniel Rono in 2017.
After spending the last five years in the cold, Kiptanui has made a grand return into politics even as he plots to oust the incumbent. With the precious UDA party ticket in his pocket, the former lawmaker is a man to beat in the Keiyo South MP race.
The grand master of the game is back with a bang, leaving MP in an awkward political position.
Content created and supplied by: AnnFrank (via Opera News )
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