Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago at a past event. [Photo: Facebook/ County Government of Uasin Gishu]

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In a surprise turn of events, Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago has reneged to support the reelection of Council of governors (CoG) chairman, Turkana governor Josphat Nanok.

Mandago now says he will support Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya for the post.

Speaking in Eldoret, Thursday, the Jubilee governor said he made the decision due to political realignment.

Mandago, the chairman of the North Rift Economic Block (NOREB) had previously said he would rally governors in the North Rift region to support Nanok, an ODM governor to retain the CoG post.

"We will support your reelection because we want this seat to remain here in the North Rift Economic bloc (Noreb)," Mandago said in Lodwar during the swearing in ceremony of Nanok.

However, during a meeting with Governors elected on a Jubilee ticket and affiliate parties at state house Nairobi, President Uhuru Kenyatta asked the county bosses to support their Kwale counterpart Salim Mvurya putting Mandago between a rock and a hard place.

"We had said we would support Nanok but now you know political realignment is real," Mandago noted.

The Council of Governors is yet to convene a meeting of all the 47 governors where the new leadership will be elected.