West Pokot County politics has taken a new twist after the new Kenya Union Party (KUP) of West Pokot County Governor John Longangapuo was on Friday officially launched in Kapenguria.
The colorful event started early in the morning after West Pokot governor John Lonyangapuo was installed as Pokot spokesman at Nasukuta shrine.
Prof Lonyangapuo was crowned with a hut and clad with Pokot traditional attire.
The official launch of the party was held at Chelang’a gardens in Kapenguria in the afternoon and attracted thousands of party supporters across the country.
The elders blessed governor Lonyangapuo as they installed him to spearhead the Pokot community politics ahead of 2022.
In a peculiar cultural event that saw old aged elders witnessing the elder leaders blessing Governor Lonyangapuo.
Those in attendance include Pokot elders from Tiaty and former Titay Mp Asman Kamama, as the leaders termed the unveiling of the new party as the new dawn of the Pokot community.
West Pokot County has been predominantly a Kanu zone but now it is dealt a big blow as it seems to be losing its grip in the region.
This is also a big blow to Jubilee and the United Democratic Alliance Party (UDA) parties that have been dominant in the vote-rich North Rift Region.
The formation of the new party will change the political arithmetic in the region.
The move is also likely to affect the dominance of Jubilee and United Democratic Alliance Party (UDA) parties in the region.
KUP party leader Prof John Lonyangapuo said that the party has been overwhelmingly received by residents in the North rift region.
Prof Lonyangapuo said the party will unite all Kenyans and it will lead the community in bargaining with other national parties in national politics.
The County boss thanked the elders and the Pokot community for endorsing him with powers to lead the party and be their spokesman.
‘KUP is going to take the region by storm,”he said.
In the last polls the area was a Kanu zone , where the independence party won the governors, senator and majority of seats in the county assembly but now things have changed as political temperatures in the county rise hence the new Kenya Union party and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) have taken over.
The new KUP party whose symbol is two vertical ticks with red, blue, and white colors has fully been registered by the Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu alongside the other three parties on October 1.
Other key figures in the new party are Pokot South MP David Pkosing, Former Tiaty MP Asman Kamama.
Governor Lonyangapuo pointed out that the party aims at bringing together people with the same political ideas.
“The new party will take part in the coming 2022 general election and has already got many of its members to hold as many posts as possible in the government, or in the municipal or provincial executive,”he said.
He added that the new party’s aim is promoting the interests of their voters.
Two months ago, the Kanu party suffered a big blow after, West Pokot County assembly Speaker Catherene Mukenyang was impeached by members of the county assembly after which the court reinstated her.
Prof Lonyangapuo who ditched Gideon Moi’s Kanu Party, has constantly made public that he is no longer supporting KANU and now he is focused on the new outfit.
“This is new dawn and new party will sweep all political seats in the region in the forth coming elections,”said Prof Lonyangapuo.
He noted that the party is not a regional party and has members across the Country adding that 98 % of West Pokot and Baringo Counties voters have joined the party.
“This is a brand new political party; Kenya Union Party with the slogan Umoja Wetu,” said Lonyangapuo.
The governor further noted that the political vehicle will be instrumental in giving a chance to the citizens who are yearning to chart the way into prosperity.
The first term Governor who fell out with Kanu bigwigs said that he will be defending his seat and expressed confidence that he will clinch the seat for the second term.