Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua and ANC boss Musalia Mudavadi have almost equal support as possible running mate for Deputy President William Ruto, a monthly Radio Africa opinion poll shows.
However, veteran politician Peter Kenneth remains the favourite to deputise Raila Odinga, defeating Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka who has been Raila's second-in-command in the past two elections.
The new poll shows Mudavadi remains Ruto's best running mate at 28.7 per cent followed by Gachagua who has 28 per cent support.
A similar poll last month gave Musalia a 14.3 per cent lead over Gachagua, a month after the former Deputy Prime Minister alongside Ford Kenya's Moses Wetang'ula teamed up with Ruto in the Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
As a party, we’re saying, if UDA takes the presidential ticket, the ANC will want the position of deputy president
However, the battle for Ruto's running mate has triggered a bitter feud in the new alliance, with Gachagua saying the seat has been reserved for Mt Kenya.
However, Mudavadi's lieutenants have rubbished the claim, saying Musalia must deputise Ruto as their “irreducible minimum”.
When the war of words first erupted, ANC told Gachagua to transition from “regional UDA mindset” to embrace the broader picture of Kenya Kwanza philosophy.
“As a party, we’re saying, if UDA takes the presidential ticket, the ANC will want the position of deputy president,” Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala declared on Saturday.
“People shouldn’t sit together and say that because they come from the mountain, they deserve to be the deputy president more than us.”
Interestingly, the poll shows Mudavadi has the most support to deputise Ruto at 58.7 per cent from Western and the least support at 16.9 per cent from Central.
Gachagua has the highest support at 44 per cent from Upper Eastern to deputise Ruto and the lowest support from Western at seven per cent.
The Radio Africa survey of 3,152 respondents was conducted by computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) between March 7 and 11 across all 47 counties.
It carries a 1.75 per cent margin of error.
The new poll shows Narc Kenya party leader Martha Karua is the third best to deputise Ruto, with 14.7 per cent support, followed by Kalonzo at five per cent.
Peter Kenneth comes fourth at 4.9 per cent.
On Raila's side, Peter Kenneth takes the lead with 31.9 per cent followed by Kalonzo at 18.1 per cent.
The poll was conducted at a time of uncertainty over Kalonzo's political future with the former Vice President insisting that Raila should support him for the top job.
He displayed a 2017 agreement showing the ODM boss was to support him in the August 2022 polls
The Wiper team has also insisted their man must get at least a running mate slot in the Azimio-Oka deal.
Karua also features strongly on Raila's side with a 13.6 per cent support as possible running mate.
Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, Mudavadi and Alfred Mutua have 8.3 per cent support, 6.3 per cent support and 4.7 per cent support, respectively, as possible Raila running mates
Kenneth is more popular in his Central Kenya backyard at 42.7 per cent, while Kalonzo s most popular in his Lower Eastern backyard at 36 per cent
(Edited by V. Graham)
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