Former KANU Sec Gen Salat declares bid for Bomet Senator

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Former Kanu Secretary General Nick Salat has declared his intention to contest for the Bomet Senator position in the 2027 General Election.

Salat on Saturday conveyed confidence in his ability to serve as a Bomet senator, highlighting his familiarity with the county politics.

"I have walked, I have listened and heard…so why not? I will go for it (the senate seat),” said Salat in a bid to succeed incumbent Senator Hillary Sigei.

Salat said the decision to contest is entirely personal and not influenced by any political patron.

The former Kanu secretary general has been attending public events across the county to campaign for the seat and has also been engaging in community activities through fundraising.

“I want to bring my political experience and legislation, having served as a Bomet East MP. I plan to support and protect devolution through Bills in the Senate,” he said.

"I intend to push for a seamless flow of county funds and ensure it is increased so that we have equity in development and provision of services,” he added.

In the 2022 general election, Salat was floored by United Democratic Alliance's (UDA) Richard Yegon alias "Unwet", the current MP for Bomet East Constituency.

According to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) results, Yegon garnered 35,431 votes while Salat got 13,425.

The outspoken Legislator lost with a margin of close to 20,000 votes.

Salat had initially expressed interest in vying for the Bomet Senatorial seat before he shelved his ambition to vie for the Bomet East parliamentary seat.

He had unsuccessfully contested for the Senate seat in 2013 and 2017 on the KANU ticket but lost to Wilfred Lesan and Christopher Langat in the two elections, respectively.

During the campaign period, Salat tried to woo the electorates arguing that UDA would not help the residents of Bomet East.

“It is time we wake up and have leaders who can fully pursue our interests nationally," he stated.

Salat appealed to the residents to vote for him, promising to ensure the constituency benefits from his leadership skills.

Governor Barchok has so far declared interests in the Bomet Senate seat.

“I have been working with the people. We understand their issues and we are waiting for the appropriate time so that we can launch the campaign,” said Barchok, adding, "But it is given that when the time comes, I will be in the senatorial race because I have experience and ability to fight for the interests of devolution to spur growth in the county.”

Although Senator Sigei has vowed to defend the seat, he said he was still monitoring the political developments in the county.

“I will either defend my seat or go for the position of MP, or even governor. I have been a county leader already and again, the work of a senator is to oversee counties, and I excelled in that, having played a key oversight role,” he said.

While some of the aspirants are engaging in a flurry of activities on the ground, others are mounting online campaigns where they, and their surrogates, are engaging on social media platforms.

Though regional balance is expected to be a factor in the race, candidates’ popularity among the people and ability to articulate issues related to oversight matter will also be expected to play a role in who wins the seat.

Party dynamics will also be a factor. Candidates will be seeking to be in a party that sits well with the locals.

Also crucial will be the ability of the candidates to crisscross the five constituencies to market themselves.