Samuel Chumel Moroto began his career in the classroom as an untrained teacher. Decades later, he has built a political career marked by electoral victories, a major setback, a comeback and sustained representation of Kapenguria Constituency.
Before becoming a familiar figure in Kenya's political landscape, Mr Moroto was a teacher whose professional ambitions were rooted in the education sector.
Born in 1960 in West Pokot, he joined the teaching profession in 1983 as an untrained teacher. In 1989, he became a deputy headteacher before advancing into school leadership. His experience in education exposed him to the realities facing teachers, learners and institutions, particularly in communities where access to educational opportunities remained a challenge.
From school leadership to teachers' union politics
In 1996, Mr Moroto ventured into union leadership when he became chairman of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), West Pokot Branch. The position gave him a broader platform to champion teachers' welfare and engage education stakeholders on the professional interests of educators.
He later served as the branch executive secretary, which deepened his involvement in organised labour and public leadership. The period also helped shape his political networks and his understanding of grassroots representation.
The 2001 by-election
Mr Moroto entered elective politics in 2001 following the death of the then Kapenguria MP, Francis Polisi Lotodo. He contested the resulting by-election and won the seat, beginning his journey in national legislative politics.
In the 2002 General Election, he defended the constituency. In 2006, during President Mwai Kibaki's administration, he served as Assistant Minister for Public Health and Sanitation.
The 2007 defeat and comeback
In the 2007 General Election, Mr Moroto lost the Kapenguria seat, interrupting his stay in the National Assembly. He returned in 2013 and reclaimed the constituency.
In 2017, he retained the seat on a Jubilee Party ticket, and he defended it again in 2022 on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket. In the 2022 elections, he garnered 19,448 votes, according to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) final tally reported by the Kenya News Agency.
Mr Moroto has also been associated with the long-standing concerns of Pokot squatters in Chepchoina. The question of settlement, land ownership and the interests of displaced or landless families has remained an important issue in the wider Trans Nzoia and West Pokot political conversation, and he has taken part in efforts to champion the squatters' interests.
For many families affected by historical settlement disputes, land represents security, dignity and the possibility of establishing permanent homes.
Mr Moroto has also been associated with political formations around former West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo, particularly the movement popularly known as the 5G Network. The association reflects the wider alliances and relationships that have shaped West Pokot's political landscape, where debate has frequently revolved around representation, development priorities and community interests.
Mr Moroto's relationship with education did not end when he joined politics. He pursued a Bachelor of Arts in Community Development at Daystar University in 2015 and completed a Master's degree in Community Development in 2018.
His career brings together three identities: educator, teachers' union leader and legislator. It has crossed different administrations, political parties and electoral cycles, and has included victory, defeat and resurgence.
From the classroom in 1983 to the National Assembly, he has moved from teaching and school leadership to union office and then to parliamentary politics.
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