Mandago Faces Early Challenge for Uasin Gishu Senate Seat
“There should have been a deliberate effort to push for more funding for Uasin Gishu after Eldoret was elevated to a city status,” Terer said.
Photo: Courtesy.
By Robert Mutasi
ELDORET, UASIN GISHU
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18,2026
The race for the Uasin Gishu Senate seat is beginning to take shape, with former county assembly speaker Isaac Terer emerging as one of the politicians seeking to challenge incumbent Senator Jackson Mandago in the 2027 General Election.
Mandago, who served as Uasin Gishu’s first governor for two terms between 2013 and 2022, moved to the Senate after leaving the county’s top office. He won the Senate seat in the 2022 election and currently chairs the Senate Health Committee.
As preparations for the next election gather pace, Terer has already started campaigning for the seat and is expected to seek the UDA ticket during the party nominations.
Terer, a lawyer and former speaker of the Uasin Gishu County Assembly, has questioned Mandago’s record in the Senate and accused him of falling short in his oversight responsibilities.
“I have a clear plan, vision and will to serve the people of Uasin Gishu more efficiently and effectively than has been the case under Mandago,” Terer said.
He said the county needed stronger oversight of development programmes and greater involvement of residents from different communities in decisions affecting Uasin Gishu.
Terer has also proposed making the senator’s office more accessible by establishing offices at subcounty and ward levels. He said the offices would help residents follow up on development projects and engage directly with the senator.
The aspirant has also criticised what he describes as limited efforts to strengthen devolution and secure additional resources for Uasin Gishu.
“There should have been a deliberate effort to push for more funding for Uasin Gishu after Eldoret was elevated to a city status,” Terer said.
Mandago has defended his political record and has continued to raise county issues in the Senate. In April, for instance, he questioned Uasin Gishu’s reported KSh4.5 billion pending bill and raised concerns over a road maintenance arrangement involving the county government and the National Youth Service.
His parliamentary record also shows continued involvement in debates on healthcare, devolution, agriculture, employment and governance.
The senator has also faced criticism from Governor Jonathan Bii, who has accused him of leaving behind stalled projects from his tenure as governor. Bii’s claims have been disputed politically and should be viewed in the context of the growing rivalry between the two camps.
The political contest is unfolding against a wider realignment in Uasin Gishu, where Bii and Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi have been associated with one political camp, while Mandago has been identified with a rival grouping. Bii has publicly backed Terer for the Senate seat.
Terer has promised to prioritise vulnerable groups, including widows, older people and persons living with disabilities, while advocating for what he calls greater inclusivity in county affairs.
Other politicians linked to the Senate race include businessman Victor Chepkelat and Kipchumba Isaac Nyongiot, popularly known as the “Tuk-Tuk candidate.”
Mandago has previously maintained that the decision on who represents Uasin Gishu belongs to voters.
“When elections come, the great people of Uasin Gishu will decide,” he said.
With the 2027 election still months away, more aspirants could enter the race as political parties prepare for nominations and candidates begin consolidating support across the county.
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