Former Elgeyo Marakwet County Governor Alex Tolgos . [File, Standard]
Former Elgeyo Marakwet County Governor Alex Tolgos, who served for ten years, has declared his interest in the Marakwet West parliamentary seat.
This sets the stage for a bruising political battle for the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket with the incumbent Timothy Kipchumba, a lawyer who was elected as an independent candidate.
According to Tolgos, who served for two terms, his move has been informed after he was approached by a section of residents to go for the seat.
"They (the electorate) visited me and told me that all is not well at home. Just prepare for a political battle with me. I'm in the way. I'm just heeding the people's call," Tolgos said during a function in Marakwet West.
"When I clinch the seat, the first thing I'll do will be to employ Hon. Kipchumba to assist us with legal matters at the national level," added the former county boss.
Tolgos, who was one of the major proponents of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) in Rift Valley when other leaders allied to President William Ruto were against it, defended his position.
"I just wanted more resources for our people. In fact, when I supported former President Uhuru Kenyatta, our region benefited a lot in terms of development, especially expansion of security roads," Tolgos said.