“I am not trying to blow my trumpet, but officials in State House are known to me,” said Sekento. “In fact, when he greeted me, the president called me by name, a thing that surprised many who were around him.”
By Beverline Timanoi
The social media scene in Kajiado was on Wednesday electrified when images of Brian Sekento confidently walking side by side with President Uhuru Kenyatta and Governor Lenku during the destruction of illegal firearms at the Traffic Police Training School in Ngong, surfaced on the Internet.
Sekento, 31, has expressed interest in vying for the senate seat in Kajiado in 2022. He is the youngest contestant in a crowded field of politicians who have expressed interest in the seat, currently held by Philip Mpaayei.
Netizens who at first spotted the pictures after they were posted online by State House, were unsure whether it was Sekento, probably due to the fact that he had a facemask on. Later those who know him well, confirmed that it was indeed him, but were at a loss as to how he made it into such a high profile event.
There were only four politicians from Kajiado who attended the event, including Sekento. The others were Ole Lenku, Kajiado North MP, Joseph Manje and former Kajiado senator Peter Mositet.
At some point security aides for the president appeared to have issues with Mositet, a fact that was noted in the pictures, where a man who appeared to be a presidential guard was captured trying to pull the former senator away from the president.
By contrast, Sekento, who was smartly dressed in a grey suit and blue tie walked confidently by the president’s side.
He was also pictured standing between the president and Interior cabinet secretary Fred Matiang’i.
“Judging by the president’s body language, he knows Sekento well and is comfortable with him being close to him,” said a commentator on Facebook. “Even Matiang’i appears to know him.”
“For those asking who Sekento is, he is the incoming senator of Kajiado,” said another one, quite obviously a supporter of Sekento.
When Kajiado Star reached out to him to get his reaction, he said that he was at the event courtesy of an official invitation by State House Comptroller, Kinuthia Mbugua.
“I am not trying to blow my trumpet, but officials in State House are known to me,” said Sekento. “In fact, when he greeted me, the president called me by name, a thing that surprised many who were around him.”
He added that the president got acquainted with him prior to the 2013 elections when he was forming the now defunct The National Alliance party (TNA).
“I was very active inside the TNA Campaigns and that is how I got to know the president,” explained Sekento.
“When I got a chance to speak to the president, I asked him to address issues of the youth in Kajiado County and to also support my campaigns.”
So, is Sekento a part of Deep State? “Let me put it this way, I know people in high places…” answered Sekento.
At the moment there are close to 12 politicians angling to unseat Mpaayei, whose performance so far appears to be lackluster.
Among individuals that have thrown their hats into the ring include, seasoned politician Daniel Tinaai, who in 2017 contested the seat on an ODM ticket and narrowly lost to Mpaayei, and current Ewuaso Kedong MCA, Justus Ngossor.
Kajiado County Assembly Speaker Johnson Osoi is also said to be eyeing the Senate seat, as well as Mositet, who bowed out of the race, in 2017 after controversially losing the Jubilee nomination contest to Mpaayei.
The other notable figure, who has expressed interest in the senate race is Peter ole Musei, board chair of Consolidated Bank.
