Farouk Kibet: The man of the people redefining western Kenya politics
There is no doubt that Farouk Taigut Kibet is a man of the people. Whether you ask residents of his village home of Chepsaita in Uasin Gishu County or visit the smallest villages of Western Kenya such as Shikokhwe in Malava Sub-county, Kakamega County, they will tell you how he has assisted families in times of need.
Kibet is widely known as the aide to President William Ruto and has earned himself the nickname Akhonya (helper), which he says will soon be added to his official national identity card by the Registrar of Persons.
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He has risen to become one of the most influential personalities in the Western region due to his down-to-earth behaviour and generosity.
Nationally, Kibet has created a niche for himself as the man behind empowerment programmes taking place in all the 290 constituencies, leaving vulnerable groups empowered with millions of shillings contributed to help them start businesses. Many low-income earners have hailed the initiative, saying it is changing lives for the better.
The recent by-elections held in Malava have proved beyond reasonable doubt that Kibet is now calling the shots in Western Kenya politics. He single-handedly campaigned for the United Democratic Alliance candidate David Ndakwa, who emerged victorious with 21,624 votes against the United Opposition candidate Seth Panyako, who came second with 20,210 votes in a hotly contested race.
Kibet had previously been labelled an outsider, but his mastery of the local Kabras dialect spoken by the majority of residents helped his message resonate with the electorate as he urged them to remain in government. He asked the people to choose between development politics and politics of deceit and abuse.
Ahead of the 2027 elections, Kibet is already putting a team in place to work towards President William Ruto’s re-election for a second term. Western Kenya is his key target, promising to deliver more than 70 per cent of the votes for the President.
His moves are well-timed, as the two top leaders in the region — National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi — are reportedly losing public favour.
At his village home, Kibet receives delegations of leaders and ordinary citizens from across the country, with many describing him as a good listener who has a solution to every problem.
In Malava Constituency, many say he is a man of his word, noting that most of the promises he made to the people have been honoured.
