The race to succeed Nandi Governor Stephen Sang has gathered momentum, with lawyer Allan Kosgey intensifying his campaign by unveiling a development agenda ahead of next year's General Election.
Kosgey, the son of former powerful Cabinet Minister Henry Kosgey, is making his second attempt at the county's top seat on a UDA ticket after losing to Sang in the party primaries ahead of the 2022 General Election.
An outspoken supporter of President William Ruto's policies, Kosgey is widely regarded as one of the frontrunners in the contest to replace Sang, who is completing his second and final term and is reportedly eyeing the Aldai parliamentary seat.
The lawyer is expected to face stiff competition from Nandi Woman Representative Cynthia Muge, Tinderet MP Julius Melly and former governor Dr Cleophas Lagat.
Unlike many of his rivals, Kosgey has adopted a unique campaign strategy, rolling out his manifesto one sector at a time during his grassroots mobilisation tours across the county.
He says the approach allows residents to scrutinise his plans in detail, while giving him an opportunity to incorporate their views.
"I have received many messages from the people of Nandi. Words of encouragement, support and constructive criticism," Kosgey said.
"I have also received views from those with different opinions. These perspectives enrich our discussions and help me refine my agenda for the people of Nandi."
His first major focus is agriculture, which he describes as the backbone of both Nandi county's and Kenya's economy.
Kosgey says the sector is under increasing pressure from climate change and unpredictable weather patterns that have affected production, and he has pledged reforms aimed at boosting productivity and farmers' earnings.
Among his proposals are transforming dairy farming, strengthening the production and marketing of tea, coffee, sugarcane and avocados, modernising cooperative societies, investing in mechanisation and promoting value addition.
"We will strengthen and modernise our cooperative movement to make it more efficient and beneficial to farmers. We will invest in agricultural mechanisation and value addition to increase productivity and farmers' incomes," he said.
He also wants to strengthen agricultural training institutions to better support small-scale and subsistence farmers.
Citing figures from the Kenya Dairy Board, Kosgey noted that Nandi currently produces about 500,000 litres of milk daily.
Of this, 200,000 litres are sold through the formal market, another 200,000 litres through the informal market, while the remaining 100,000 litres are consumed within households.
"Under my administration, we will ensure that all milk produced in the county is collected and processed locally. This will require the urgent operationalisation of the Nandi Dairy Cooperative Union Factory in Kabiyet," Kosgey said.
He said dairy farmers and milk producers would become shareholders in the cooperative union to guarantee farmer ownership and accountable leadership from the outset.
His plan also includes establishing milk collection centres with cooling facilities in every ward based on production capacity and setting up a dairy animal feed manufacturing plant to lower production costs.
"We, therefore, plan to establish a dairy feed manufacturing plant to lower feeding costs for our farmers. I pledge to work closely with the national government to establish a dairy feed factory in Nandi county," he said.
Kosgey also defended President William Ruto's recent foreign trips, saying they are aimed at opening new export markets for Kenyan products.
He cited the President's visits to Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, as well as engagements with investors from the Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg), saying the outreach could create new opportunities for Kenyan tea exports.
"As one of the country's leading producers of black tea, Nandi will seize these opportunities to expand exports of value-added products," he said.
Kosgey said he will continue unveiling his plans for other key sectors, including health, water, education and trade, as he seeks to convince voters that he is best placed to lead Nandi after Sang.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
Allan Kosgey's campaign signals that the race to succeed Governor Stephen Sang is shifting from personalities to policy. By unveiling his manifesto sector by sector, he is attempting to distinguish himself in what is expected to be a crowded UDA succession battle. His heavy emphasis on agriculture, particularly dairy farming, targets Nandi's largest voting bloc and seeks to tap into farmers' economic concerns. His defence of President William Ruto's foreign trips also aligns him closely with the Kenya Kwanza administration, a strategy likely aimed at consolidating UDA support. The contest is shaping into an early test of influence within the ruling party in Nandi.
