President Kenyatta is on Saturday expected to grace ODM boss Raila Odinga's National Delegates Conference and lead the latter's crowning moment.
The Star has established that Uhuru will lead his Jubilee Party NDC at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre and then attend Raila's big day at Kasarani.
The ODM party is expected to formally nominate Raila as the party's presidential flag bearer after governors Hassan Joho (Mombasa) and Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega) stepped down on Friday.
Raila is also expected to attend the Jubilee jamboree as well in a packed day of intense political moments to crown the former prime minister.
This will be followed by a joint rally by ODM and Jubilee at the historic Kamkunji grounds where the Azimio team will present candidate Raila to Kenyans.
Speaking on Friday, Raila said the ODM and Jubilee NDCs will make resolutions on Saturday that will form further discussions at the top Azimio decision-making organ.
“We will attend both of them (Jubilee and ODM NDCs) and finally we will make resolutions that will be taken to another meeting which will be the culmination of Azimio La Umoja,” Raila said.
The ODM leader spoke when he chaired a meeting of the ODM's National Governing Council at the Bomas of Kenya, Nairobi.
Jubilee and ODM are the main anchors of the Azimio La Umoja coalition party, Raila’s 2022 political vehicle.
Other parties are expected to join.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Kanu chairman Gideon Moi are expected to formally ink a deal to join Azimio.
Kalonzo has indicated he is ready to work with Raila for a third time.
On Friday, the ODM NGC proposed Raila as the presidential flag bearer for the Azimio coalition.
Suna East MP Junet Mohammed disclosed that a meeting of all political parties within Azimio La Umoja has been convened early next month.
According to Junet, Azimio La Umoja coalition party will officially be launched during the meeting.
“It is agreed we are going to have a serious launch of Azimio Party in two weeks,” Junet said.
Raila, who has been endorsed by several parties within Azimio, extended an olive branch to like-minded parties to join the Azimio ship and challenge him for the party’s ticket.
“Other parties that want to join are also free to nominate their candidates then we are going to have the mother of all meetings that will give us the Azimio candidate,” he said.
Raila spoke after his party’s NGC unanimously proposed him to fly its presidential flag in the August 9 polls.
The NDC will ratify the proposal on Saturday.
“Today, you have nominated me as an ODM candidate for Azimio La Umoja. You have made me and the entire country proud; you can now carry the message that the journey has started,” he said.
Joho said he dropped his bid because of Raila's selflessness and sacrifices for the country.
“You have been my political mentor since 2004 and there is absolutely no way that I will contest with you,” Joho said.
"I also wanted to be president but studying the prevailing circumstances, and Raila being more experienced than I, I am officially withdrawing my bid today in support of Raila," Oparanya said.
Raila paid glowing tribute to Uhuru who, he said, demonstrated leadership when he accepted to the handshake.
He said the President has since kept his word and proven wrong critics who had termed the truce a passing cloud.
“Some people said that Uhuru Kenyatta will abandon me. I told them I know that he will not. This bond will not die with elections but it will only get stronger as we work together moving forward.”
Raila promised to build on Uhuru’s legacy if he takes over the leadership of the country.
