Governance expert Raymond Ochieng. He has called on Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago to distance himself from NASA's endorsement in a bid to safeguard his votes. [Photo: twitter.com]
Governance expert Raymond Ochieng has urged Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago to downplay the endorsement from NASA for political survival.
According to Raymond, Mandago has to rubbish the endorsement in a move to protect his votes from the region which is largely affiliated to the Jubilee party. Ray believes this move will assure the residents of the county that Mandago is not a NASA sympathiser.
The expert believes the move will still earn him NASA votes because the coalition has no gubernatorial candidate in the region.
"Governor Mandago has to distance himself as far as possible from the NASA endorsement in Eldoret on Wednesday. This is the only way he will protect his votes in the area which largely supporting Jubilee party. He will still be able to win NASA votes in the region," said Raymond.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV on Thursday, Raymond further reiterated that an acceptance of the endorsement will give independent candidate Bundotich Buzeki a major boost as Jubilee supporters may shift allegiance towards him.
Raymond pointed out that Buzeki has already shown his worth as a competitor and Mandago will not want to aggravate issues by defending NASA's move.
"Buzeki has already shown his ability as an independent candidate in the region. He has a big base and Mandago can alleviate his (Buzeki) dominance in the area," added Raymond.
The statements by Raymond come after NASA leaders endorsed Mandago while in Eldoret on Wednesday.