Baringo Heads to the Polls as UDA Faces Growing Backlash

Baringo County heads to the ballot in exactly one week to elect a new senator following the death of Senator William Cheptumo in February 2025. 

The by-election, scheduled for November 27, 2025 will determine who completes the remainder of the term and could offer a preview of shifting political dynamics in the Rift Valley ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The seat, previously held by the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA), is one President William Ruto is keen to retain, not only as a political statement but also as a show of strength within his home turf.

During his development tour of Baringo on October 28, 2025 just weeks after reaching a deal with Kenya African National Union (KANU) Chairman Gideon Moi on October 8 to keep the party from fielding a candidate, the President urged residents to throw their weight behind UDA flagbearer Vincent Kiprono Chemitei.

He stated that it would be “a shame” for him to lose the seat in his backyard and emphasized that retaining it would give his administration “a good image” as it heads into the next electoral cycle.

However, UDA enters the final stretch of the campaign carrying the baggage of internal fractures and growing public discontent.

The party’s nomination process exposed deep rifts among Baringo leaders, with many openly backing their preferred aspirants. When Chemitei won the ticket through the electronic voting system, he was swiftly associated with Mogotio Member of Parliament (MP) Reuben Kiborek and Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen.

This cast a shadow over the process, with sections of the electorate accusing powerful forces outside the county of influencing Baringo’s political direction.

This narrative of external interference has particularly resonated in Baringo North, where residents believe the nomination process did not reflect their will.

Many voters in the region have since rallied behind Steve-David Kipruto of the Republican Liberty Party (RLP), seeing his candidacy as an opportunity to push back against what they view as political sidelining.

Analysts suggest that this sentiment could significantly affect the race, potentially splitting the vote and weakening UDA’s dominance in the region.

The by-election has attracted six candidates: Vincent Kiprono Chemitei (UDA), Steve-David Kipruto (RLP), Benjamin Chebon (The New Democrats), Samuel Letasio (Kenya Moja Movement), Shadrack Kiplawat (Alliance for Change Party), and Daniel Kirui (Umoja na Maendeleo Party).

Each is campaigning on a blend of local issues, identity politics, and promises to restore accountability in county leadership.

Chemitei, the President’s preferred candidate, enters the final days with strong party machinery behind him but faces perceptions of being imposed on the electorate.

Steve David Kipruto enjoys growing support in Baringo North, while Benjamin Chebon running on The New Democrats ticket is positioning himself as a corruption fighter and governance candidate.

Samuel Letasio, a youthful Kenya Moja Movement candidate, has also gained traction, thanks in part to endorsements from national figures who view his campaign as a test of Gen Z influence in formal politics.

With dissatisfaction toward the ruling party mounting, attention now turns to whether voters will heed President Ruto’s appeal to rally behind his party or use the by-election to send a political warning shot by choosing an alternative candidate.

The stakes are high: victory for UDA would reinforce the President’s influence in the Rift Valley, while a loss would signal growing voter restlessness even in traditionally loyal regions.

As campaigns hit the homestretch, UDA is preparing an aggressive final mobilization. MPs, senators, and other elected leaders allied to the party are expected to descend on Baringo for the final three days of campaigns.

This strategy mirrors similar efforts in Mbeere North, where Deputy President Kithure Kindiki is spearheading the push for another UDA candidate in a simultaneous by-election.

Even so, political analysts note that the situation offers a mixed landscape. While UDA faces internal backlash, the opposition appears disorganized and without a unified candidate.

This lack of coordination has given the ruling party an unexpected advantage, as voters are left to choose independently without strong counter-messaging from opposition parties. The vacuum has allowed UDA to consolidate its base with minimal direct challenge, even as local grievances persist.

With just days to the poll, Baringo stands at a political crossroads. Whether residents affirm the ruling party or chart a new path will be known on November 27, but the outcome will undoubtedly reverberate beyond the county’s borders.

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