By REUBEN OLITA
July 14, 2026|Charles Ramaina (pictured), a senior director in President William Ruto’s Executive Office, has officially joined the race for the Teso North parliamentary seat—pledging to break the Angurai Division’s six-decade grip on the constituency’s top political prize.
Declaring his candidacy on the UDA ticket Tuesday, Ramaina framed his bid as a fight for equitable representation, noting that the vast majority of declared aspirants—including incumbent Oku Kaunya—hail from the wider Angurai Division. Since independence, only one MP has ever come from Amagoro Division: the late Achiya Echakara.
“I am not just another candidate—I am a product of this community, and I understand its struggles firsthand,” said Ramaina, a native of Kamolo Division in Malaba South Ward.
Before his State House appointment, Ramaina served as Faculty Director and Campus Manager at KCA University, where he grew the Amagoro campus enrolment to nearly 800 students in record time—boosting local business and cash flow. Ironically, after his transfer to Nairobi, the campus later declined and shut down.
He holds an MBA, a Bachelor of Business Administration, and a Cambridge University diploma in Strategic Leadership and Governance.
Ramaina, who previously contested the seat in 2022 on an MDG ticket, now banks on his government insider status and grassroots track record to outshine a crowded field that includes John Imoite, Prophet Felix Ipara, Ichasi Imwene, Gardy Ijakaa, Humphrey Ekirapa, Charles Chesetto, Gregory Odeke, and Lawi Mamai.
His campaign pillars: youth empowerment and a total transformation of Teso North.
With voters known for independent-minded choices, political watchers say the 2027 race is shaping up to be the most fiercely contested in the constituency’s history—and Ramaina is betting that being the President’s man on the ground might just be the game-changer.