13/01/2026
THE LUKUMONG CURSE: HOW DIVISION BETWEEN TWO GIANTS KEEPS THE TRIPLE 5 MAN IN POWER.
Turkana West politics is never short of drama, but at the heart of it all lies one uncomfortable truth: the constituency has remained in the same hands not because the sitting MP is unbeatable, but because his strongest challengers have never fought as one.
There are two undisputed political giants in Turkana West who, if they chose unity over rivalry, would unseat the sitting MP with a crushing landslide. These men command loyalty, resources, networks, and deep-rooted influence within the Lukumong clan.
They are Sylvester Lokaru Kuya, the Lukumong clan kingpin, and Patrick Losike Lokaimoe, famously known as Akine a Munyes and recently rebranded Lomulen.
Instead of shaking the political ground together, the two have spent more than a decade neutralizing each other, a rivalry that has consistently worked to the advantage of one man: Hon. Daniel Epuyo, the famous 555 Man.
How the Rift Was Born
To understand why Turkana West keeps recycling the same MP, one must return to 2013, where everything began to unravel.
In that election, Patrick Losike vied for the MCA seat under Ford Kenya, aligning himself with John Munyes as the Senatorial aspirant and Josephat Kooli Nanok as the gubernatorial candidate. At the time, the MP aspirant Losike supported was Hon. Kuya.
On the other side, Sylvester Lokaru Kuya was contesting for the MP seat under the ODM ticket. When Losike declined to back Lokaru’s parliamentary bid, he instead supported the former Kakuma MCA James Ekaran, popularly known as Tanaik.
The result was a divided Lukumong vote. Both sides lost the MP battle, and from that political confusion emerged Daniel Epuyo as the winner. Ironically, Losike still managed to clinch his MCA seat.
Power, Influence, and Political Payback
After Nanok formed the government, Losike was elevated to Leader of Majority, a powerful position that gave him significant influence. Lokaru, having lost the MP race, set his eyes on the Sub-County Administrator position, which had been advertised at the time.
Using his political weight, Losike allegedly ensured that Lokaru would never secure the position. Instead, it was awarded to Nalemesekon, a close relative by marriage.
Although Lokaru later secured a role as Senior Security Advisor in the Governor’s office, the damage had already been done. His tenure lasted only two years. The hostility between the two had fully matured.
From barazas to backroom dealings, Lokaru increasingly became a target of political ridicule. Allegedly, tenders were blocked, opportunities denied, and public defamation normalized, all driven by fear of his growing influence within the Lukumong clan.
2017: When the Rivalry Went Public
By 2017, the feud had exploded into the open. Losike moved from the MCA position to challenge Epuyo for the MP seat, backing Nanok after parting ways with Munyes. Lokaru went independent.
Epuyo, riding on Munyes’ gubernatorial bid, watched calmly as the Lukumong vote split into two hostile camps. The outcome was inevitable.
Epuyo outmaneuvered both and won again.
Nanok secured a second term and rewarded Losike with a CECM position. Lokaru, blamed for splitting the Lukumong vote, faced deeper political isolation, including the collapse of his security firm AKIMORMOR, which reportedly stopped receiving county contracts.
Yet Lokaru proved resilient. He later secured a position with Kenya Oil, eventually rising to become Turkana County Coordinator, surviving despite sustained political pressure.
2022: Same Strategy, Same Outcome
Come 2022, the same political script played out once more.
Losike vied while backing the current Governor under the ODM party.
Lokaru aligned himself with Munyes under Jubilee.
Epuyo ran with Lodepe under UDA.
Once again, the Lukumong vote fractured. Once again, the 555 Man survived.
Lokaru managed to secure four MCA seats, a clear demonstration of political strength, but once again, it was not enough to clinch the ultimate prize.
When Governor Napotikan formed his government, Losike was appointed CECM, and the familiar patterns of power and exclusion resurfaced.
The Real Issue: Resources and Control
Let us be honest.
This has never been about ideology.
It has never been about party loyalty.
It is about power, resources, and ego.
As long as Sylvester Lokaru Kuya and Patrick Losike Lokaimoe continue fighting each other, Daniel Epuyo will continue winning, not because he is unbeatable, but because his opponents cancel each other out.
Final Word
If Turkana West genuinely desires change, the solution is painfully simple.
Unity. Strategy. Resource sharing.
The day these two Lukumong giants sit down, bury their rivalry, and combine their influence, the era of the 555 Man will come to an end decisively.
Until then, Turkana West will remain trapped in a political cycle where the same mistakes are repeated, and the same results are expected.
