Former West Pokot Governor John Lunyangapuo last week announced that he had decamped from opposition leader Raila Odinga’s Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party.
The Kenya Union Party (KUP) leader said his outfit will not take part in the direction the opposition outfit had taken.
“Our contract with Azimio came to an end when we saw the direction they are taking to cause tension in the country,” he said.
In what appears that his decision has paid, Kenya’s President William Ruto has awarded Lunyangapuo a posh position in the current regime where he will serve for several years.
The former governor was appointed the chairperson of the Board of Directors for the North Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency.
In a gazette notice published on Friday, March 10, the seasoned politician will replace David Chumba Chemweno whose appointment has been revoked.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 7 (3) of theState Corporations Act, I, William Samoei Ruto, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces, appoint…to be the chairperson with effect from March 10, 2023, up to December 3, 2023,” reads the notice.
Lunyangapuo unsuccessfully defended his seat in the 2022 General Election losing to UDA’s Simon Kachapin garnering 84,610 votes against 86,476.
Other poll losers who have been rewarded in the new appointments are Anwar Oloitip, Ali Mbogo, and John Konchella.
The former county boss said he dumped Raila after declaring mass protests against President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza government over the 2022 presidential results.
Lunyangapuo instead urged Kenyans to shun calls for mass action and instead focus on efforts to drive the economy to recovery.
“It is time we agreed that we lost. Let us give him (President Ruto) a chance to govern this nation. I hear we now have free fertilizer, let us utilize that to enhance production,” he said.
