Businessman and Politician Bundotich Zedekiah Kiprop Buzeki has officially joined the United Democratic Alliance (UDA)Party.ย
The announcement was made official on Thursday, September 11.
Buzeki is expected to challenge incumbent Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Chelilim (Koti Moja) for the countyโs top seat.
In 2017, he declared his interest in the Uasin Gishu governor seat three months to the August 8 election. His entry rubbed many the wrong way, and he was immediately branded a project of the then Deputy President William Ruto.
Although he run a moneyed campaign for the seat replete with choppers and top-of-the-range cars, he lost out to former Governor Jackson Mandago in both the Jubilee primaries and General Election.
He contested again in 2022 but lost to Koti Moja.
He briefly joined Chama Cha Mashinani in 2019 but left before the 2022 general elections.
Buzeki is known for his athletic physique, firm personality and sunglasses which he is never seen without.
โI am just a humble entrepreneur seeking political leadership as an agent of change to eradicate poverty in the region. I am a self-made individual who rose from a mere milk hawker in Mombasa to my current economic stature,โ Buzeki said in a past interview.
Bundotich is the founder of Kenyaโs Buzeki Group of Companies, a conglomerate with interests in logistics, oil trading, heavy vehicle dealerships, and insurance.
The group was previously active in the dairy sector, but in 2013 Bundotich sold Buzeki Dairy to the Kenyatta familyโowned Brookside Dairies in a deal worth $15 million.
Buzeki appeared in the 2017 Forbes Magazine as one of the top ten richest Kenyans who made his first billion at the age of 30.
He was also popularly known for owning his thriving farmhouse in Ainabkoi, Uasin Gishu County.
His success story traces him from milk hawking to a famous politician and a village billionaire who owns a chopper.
He also founded other companies includingย Bunoil Limited, Koima Motors, Transtruckers Logistics, Buzeki Insurance, and Buzeki Fleet System Management.
As of 2021, his fleet included 289 trucks and 141 trailers. However, his businesses were also servicing a loan of approximately Ksh 2.7 billion from NCBA Bank, which he began restructuring by 2023.
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