Samson Cherargei: The man who wants to install Kenya’s first life president

The lawyer-turned-MP has ruffled the feathers of those in high places in society both on the floor of parliament, in public functions and during media interviews.

However, he has emerged as a staunch defender of ousted Vice President Rigathi Gachagua – who is fighting the corridors of justice to retain his position after President William Ruto threw him under the bus.

Ms. Caroline Cherotich, a political commentator, said the senator stands out as one who speaks his mind on issues affecting society without regard for political repercussions.

“Mr Cherargei identified himself with those politicians who take over government when it appears to be committing evil against the people, while at the same time defending President William Ruto on a number of issues, making it difficult for his critics in government. completely knocked him down politically,” Ms. Cherotich said.

Mr Cherargei’s stance on the impeachment, sticking to Mr Gachagua’s corner when his friends in the Rift Valley, President Ruto’s backyard, were deserting him in his hour of need, speaks volumes about his character as a politician.

A large number of Rift Valley MPs, who previously enjoyed an affair with Mr Gachagua due to political pressure and fear of reprisals, backed down and joined the chorus for the DP to exit on stage, paving the way for Home Affairs Cabinet Secretary Professor Kithure Kindiki. to take the mantle of the second most powerful place on earth.

“We did not give the vice president a hearing in the interest of justice…” Mr Cherargei said during the Senate session, standing out as the only lawmaker from the Kalenjin Rift Valley who remains in the embattled PD’s political corner.

He continued to be slammed by the National Assembly for impeaching Mr. Gachagua on flimsy grounds, including the renovation of the official residence, but was not an accountant and for funds that were still registered by the house.

“As chairman of the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC), there is no way the vice president could have undermined devolution as alleged in one of the 11 charges he faces. The initiator of the impeachment motion was on a fishing expedition,” said Mr. Cherargei.

The senator had a no-holds-barred public discussion with Sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumbe Murkomen and Nandi Governor Stephen Sang on a range of socio-economic and political issues both locally and nationally.

One of the corruption issues in the road sector – when Mr Murkomen was SC for Roads – went to court, the SC sued the politician – a former fellow senator for defamation.

He also criticized the CS for an alleged display of opulence in what he said was insensitive to Kenyans struggling to make ends meet in the tough economic times the country is facing.

From the leaking roofs at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airports (JKIA) to the launch of road construction projects in the country and especially in the Rift Valley where they both hail from and the battles for political supremacy, the senator has not missed an opportunity to CS shots.

Mr Murkomen is a former Senate Majority Leader and three-time elected Elgeyo Marakwet Senator before resigning to join President Ruto’s cabinet following the August 9, 2022 general election.

“When I raised the issue of a display of opulence by those in government, including the SC and members of Parliament, I was blamed and described as a fool. But Genz’s protests justified my position,” Mr. Cherargei said in an interview recently.

He also had a seemingly never-ending feud with Governor Sang over the alleged mismanagement of county resources and corruption in the county, which at times was seen to be linked to personal attacks as opposed to demanding accountability and role of surveillance.

Mr Sigey Bett, a lawyer based in Nairobi, said the senator cuts both ways, raising serious issues while sometimes being seen as petty in approach.

“Cherargei’s irritating approach to issues is understandable because of his background, hailing from Nandi, a region that has historically produced fiery politicians who resisted the state and left an indelible mark on Kenya’s democratic space,” said Mr Bette.

Nandi County has been home to some outspoken politicians including Mr. Jean-Marie Seroney, Ms. Jelagat Mutai and most recently former Nandi Hills Member of Parliament Alfred Keter.

In parliament, the senator has repeatedly drawn the ire of the president for his handling of the issues, deviating from the rules of the house. As a result, he was repeatedly thrown from the room, but this did not help to cool him later.

Despite being a lawyer very familiar with the 2010 Constitution and the country’s laws on the separation of powers between the various arms of government, the senator publicly advises President Ruto to ignore court orders on various issues.

“Mr President, ignore the courts and proceed to implement your development agenda in the country. We can use court orders as blotting paper,” he told Dr Ruto during a tour of Nandi County earlier this year.

He has identified himself as a defender of devolution and the rooting of county governments in the current constitutional order, despite the fact that he believes that corruption has been transferred to the country.

“Corruption has been transferred to the counties and with proper audits and action by the relevant government agencies, three-quarters of the governors would be in jail,” Mr. Cherargei said.

But he took over the National Assembly for repeatedly trying to starve the counties of funding in what would undo the devolution gains of the past 12 years in the country.

“The National Assembly continues to defile the Constitution and undermine devolution by reducing the allocation of resources to the counties,” Mr. Cherargei said.

Governor Sang and Senator Cherargei have been involved in the last two terms in public discussions regarding the implementation of development projects, accountability and alleged corruption.

Mr Sang, in a letter to Mr Cherargei last year at the height of their spat over the governor’s appearance in the Senate before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Public Investment Committee (PIC), described the senator as petty.

“You choose to engage in sideshows that often annoy your peers. You have been repeatedly dismissed by your colleagues as petty and minor,” Mr. Sang said in the letter to Mr. Cherargei.

The governor argued that the senator showed a “lack of emotional acuity to delve into the issues captured in the auditor general’s reports.”

Although he did not make it public, the senator is said to have governorship ambitions in Nandi County.