Bitok's ambition for governor seat causes a stir at home and beyond

Principal Secretary Julius Bitok is eyeing the Uasin Gishu governor position, even as the grassroots political rivalry appear to have followed him to the national office

Prof Bitok was this week moved to the Tourism docket, his third station since he was appointed in 2022.

His reassignment marks his transfer in just over 15 months after he joined the Basic Education docket from the Immigration and Citizen Services.

Bitok, who lost to incumbent Governor Jonathan Bii in the 2022 UDA party primaries, has not hidden his ambition to take over the county administration.

The PS has been traversing the county in a bid to persuade locals to support him, although State officials are restricted from engaging in politics.

“You know that I came here recently to ask for your votes and things did not go as we expected and you asked me to wait,” Prof Bitok once told a crowd during a fundraiser in Ziwa where he donated Sh2 million to Chepkigen Primary School.

"You asked me to wait, right? So, 2027 is coming. We are still saying lapkei tai (a Kalenjin saying that loosely translates to 'the future is bright')."

The event was spearheaded by Soy MP David Kiplagat, and attended by MPs Musa Sirma (Eldama Ravine), Julius Ruto (Kesses) - leaders who have backed his gubernatorial bid.

The rivalry has split the local politicians. One camp, led by Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, is backing Governor Bii, while several other legislators a re looting for Bitok.

Soy MP David Kiplagat recently hailed the former ambassador, saying he can steer the affairs of Uasin Gishu because of his experience.

 "When we elect a governor next year, let us choose someone who has knowledge and experience in planning. Others have appointed goons to serve in crucial positions in the county government instead of hiring professionals," the Soy lawmaker said.

During a thanksgiving at Kapkoi Primary School in Kesses last month, Baringo North MP Joseph Makilap said locals should not "crucify" Bitok for the third time.

Makilap meant that the PS had been denied an opportunity to become governor twice (in 2013 and 2022) and should be rewarded with the seat next year.

 "He has employed many people in my constituency and in Uasin Gishu when he was PS for Immigration and at basic education," Makilap said.

 According to Kesses MP Julius Rutto, Bitok has been influencing development programmes in Uasin Gishu as he prepares to unseat Governor Bii.

 He asked Governor Bii to stop taking credit for Bitok's efforts to bring development to the county.

"The power connectivity that we enjoy in many parts of Kesses is courtesy of PS Bitok. The current Governor should not move around, taking credit for the PS' efforts," said Rutto.

But the Governor has dismissed his critics, telling those eyeing the seat to be ready for a bruising political battle. 

“Those calling me one term have no reasons. When I came to office, I employed ECDE teachers on permanent terms. I have introduced free milk in ECDE,” Bii said.

He said former Governor Jackson Mandago, who is the county’s current senator served two terms and he (Bii) will not be denied a second term in office.

He said politicians planning to deny a second term were Ruto’s silent critics, who were working closely with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who is now the President’s nemesis.

 “How can you chase me away when most of the programmes are underway? Anyone who is singing one term is politically affiliated to Wamunyoro (the former Deputy President),” said Bii.

Although Sudi has not hit out at Bitok publicly, his frosty relations with the PS have been poignant because of the legislator's support for Governor Bii's second term in office.

 Sudi and Bii have been holding their functions jointly in the last one year. He has been publicly defending Bii from onslaughts by a faction ostensibly led by Senator Mandago.

In the national office, Bitok was moved in the heat of countrywide unrest in schools. At the same time, questions were raised during his tenure at Immigration rocked by allegations that irregularly issuing Kenyan passports and national ID cards to Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and other shadowy international individuals.

For instance, a tracking result for Algoney Hamdan Musa, the chief procurement officer of the RSF, was approved on August 27, 2024, and received on February 14, 2025, the same day 13 other members of the RSF also received their documents.

 Similarly, Zahra Hamdan, a relative of Dagalo, had hers approved three weeks later on September 19, 2024, but miraculously had her passport processed the same day.

The trail of the applications indicated that most the approvals were done between August 2024 and January 2025, while Bitok was at the helm.

The crisis culminated in a sweeping crackdown that led to the arrest and charging of several officials accused of operating extortion rings, demanding bribes from desperate Kenyans, and deliberately sabotaging the system to fuel corruption.

Concerns were also raised regarding the e-Citizen platform's revenue streams after an Auditor-General report highlighted unreconciled receipts, uncollected passport fees, and unauthorized transfers out of state accounts, casting doubt on the transparency and legal framework of the portal.

And in the National Assembly Majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah accused the PS of taking a nonchalant approach to challenges in the education sector.

 “Why would a school with 100 students have 28 teachers and the school next door has 600 students without teachers and you have a county director of education in that sub-county, those are the issues CS," he stated.

 Reports by Stephen Rutto, Julius Chepkwony and Ndungu Gachane