Sotik Constituency: Where Tea, Trade and Politics Converge

From rolling tea plantations and thriving dairy farms to one of South Rift's busiest trading hubs, Sotik Constituency is where agriculture, commerce and politics meet. As Bomet County prepares for the 2027 General Election, this border constituency could once again play a significant role in shaping the region's political landscape.

Demographics​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Framework

The 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census shows that the population of Sotik amounts to 227,855, and they live in an area of about 544 square kilometers. The inhabitants are mostly Kipsigis people who are part of the Kalenjin community group. However, because of its strategic location at the three-way junction of Kericho, Kisii, and Nyamira counties, it has attracted several Kisii, Luo, and other ethnic groups engaged in agriculture, trade, and commerce. 

2013 General Election

With the establishment of Bomet County, the 2013 election marked the dawn of political change for the Sotik region. Dr Joyce Cherono Laboso, who was a candidate of the United Republican Party, was the landslide winner when she secured a record number of 42,772 votes. She narrowly defeated Francis Kipyegon Arap Sigei of KANU, who received 8,540 votes.

2017 General Election

Since becoming the Governor of Bomet, Dr Laboso had vacated the Sotik parliamentary seat; Dominic Kipkoech Koskei of the Jubilee Party was the winning candidate in this election with 35,465 votes. The challenger for this election was the former incumbent Francis Sigei, who ran as an Independent candidate and had 19,211 votes.

2022 General Election

In 2022, the two politicians again battled each other, but there was a twist in their fortunes. Francis Kipyegon Sigei, representing the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), secured the victory with 41,392 votes. In contrast, Dominic Koskei, who had previous experience as the MP and ran independently got 26,170 votes.

Economic Role and Relevance

The economic life of Sotik still relies heavily on Agriculture. 

One of the largest businesses there is tea cultivation done in estates. Besides that, Sotik Tea Company produces large quantities of Green Leaf, which is sold to other factories of the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) for processing, one of the KTDA factories being Kapset Tea Factory.

Smallholder farmers supplying tea to these processing factories also form an important part of Sotik’s economy, along with the large estate tea plantations.

The area has also become one of the main dairy production regions of Bomet County, supported by small-scale farms.

Another business is the milk cooling and processing factory at New Kenya Cooperative Creameries (New KCC).

Besides that, trading in live animals also happens as the area is known to have cattle fairs where people can buy or sell animals of different breeds like cattle, sheep, and goats.

In terms of crop types used for food, Sotik has always been self-reliant with products like corn and beans; however, for some time now, they have been trying new types of crops, which include macadamia nuts, coffee, and export crops of horticulture, among others, in addition to the traditional ones like potatoes, maize, beans, and vegetables.

Other than farming, the place has been identified as one of the major commercial centers of the South Rift area. Being located at the point where three counties meet with Bomet: Kericho, Kisii, and Nyamira , it is considered an important junction for trade and transportation.

Sotik's story is one of economic resilience, political competition and steady transformation. Whether through tea, trade or the ballot box, the constituency continues to influence both Bomet County and the wider South Rift. As 2027 approaches, the choices made by Sotik's voters will help define its next chapter.

Do you have any new details or corrections regarding this constituency? If you can provide any information that should be included, or if you have noticed that certain data has been modified or presented incorrectly, please share it with us at [email protected].