Uasin Gishu County Governor Jackson Mandago during a past campaign rally. [Photo|Jackson Mandago]Uasin Gishu County Governor Jackson Mandago, has sent an acknowledgement message to the Opposition National Super Alliance (Nasa), saying it helped him retain his seat.Mandago who is a Jubilee Party leader, hailed the Raila Odinga-led team, saying its endorsement made a lot of non-Kalenjin residents in his county, unanimously vote for him, in the August 8 polls.Mandago faced tight competition from Independent Candidate Bundotich Buzeki, who had worn the hearts of many non-Kalenjin residents in and out of Eldoret, the Uasin Gishu County headquarters.But things turned around when top Nasa leadership during a campaign tour in Eldoret, endorsed Mandago, saying Buzeki was a project of Jubilee Party deputy leader, William Ruto.Nasa asked its supporters in Uasin Gishu to vote for Mandago, a move that solicited mixed reactions.However, Mandago said this really helped him."I want to thank Nasa, because I was not going to win. If they had not come to say 'Mandago Tibim', I would have not won. This seat had already gone. Nasa made the way for me," Mandago told the press in Eldoret, Monday evening.He however said his Jubilee Party won the election, adding that Nasa should wait until 2022.

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