The battle for the presidential running mate for Deputy President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga has narrowed down to two candidates each.
The Star has established the race for Raila's deputy is between Peter Kenneth and Narc Kenya boss Martha Karua.
In Ruto's Kenya Kwanza camp, the jostling for the DP's second-in-command is pitting Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru against Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua.
Both Raila and Ruto — the leading contenders in the August 9 presidential election — are holding their running mate cards close to their chests as they calculate carefully.
Although Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has been pushing for the number two slot, sources say President Uhuru Kenyatta's allies have been pleading with him to drop the demand.
Businessman SK Macharia and Azimio spokesman Makau Mutua are pushing for Karua.
But Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya and other senior people around Raila are pushing for Peter Kenneth.
On Kenya Kwanza side, some politicians who were initially touted as Ruto's possible running mates could easily be eliminated for fear their choice would trigger a bitter regional falling out.
For instance, Tharaka Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki and National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi — formidable candidates from Mt Kenya East — could be eliminated.
The two hail from Mt Kenya East, an axis that has been claiming political marginalisation by their giant Central region counterparts for decades.
Both Gachagua and Waiguru hail from Central Kenya and are assertive, vocal and aggressive — crucial qualities likely to bolster Ruto's campaigns.
On Tuesday, Waiguru told the Star that should the DP pick her to be his running mate, she would accept that as a “great honour.”
“The choice of running mate, as I have always said, is the DP's exclusive call, and I would consider it a great honour and accept it, if he picked me,” Waiguru said.
The former Devolution and Planning CS said choosing her would add what she termed an important dimension to the race.
“That would energise it [the race] even further,” Waiguru said, adding that she is committed to winning in whichever role she will play in the DP's lineup.
Gachagua said being Ruto's running mate is not a matter of life and death for him. His agenda, he said, is to secure victory for the team.
“I am not with William Ruto to become deputy president. I am supporting him to champion economic empowerment. What brought us together is to revive our economy,” Gachagua said.
The MP said Ruto does not need a committee to help him choose his running mate.
"We have given him a free hand to choose his running mate and we will support whoever he picks,” he remarked during a TV interview on Tuesday morning.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission on Tuesday gave presidential candidates and governors a reprieve, extending the deadline for the submission of their deputies to May 16.
Both camps had been thrown into a tailspin after IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati insisted all presidential candidates and governors must submit the names of their running mates by Thursday.
Chebukati said the deadline for submission of names for aspirants for MPs, woman representatives, senators, and MCAs remains April 28, Thursday.
"Independent candidates who are vying as presidential candidates and governor candidates will also submit their names on May 16," Chebukati said after a crisis meeting with political parties.
Azimio was represented by executive director Raphael Tuju, Junet Mohamed and lawyers Otiende Amolo, Edwin Sifuna and Paul Mwangi.
Ruto's Kenya Kwanza had UDA secretary general Veronica Mwangi and Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria.
In Raila's Azimio La Umoja One Kenya camp, where an advisory team has been set up to shortlist the ODM boss's possible running mates, Karua and Kalonzo are the two frontrunners.
President Uhuru Kenyatta's assistant technical adviser Mutahi Ngunyi set tongues wagging when he declared with finality that Raila will pick Karua.
“The verdict is out: It is Martha Karua as Raila’s running mate. I said it in June 2021. And what I saw then has not changed. She is the one. End of discussion,” Ngunyi tweeted last Monday.
However, there was a new twist on Tuesday after the Narc party wrote to the advisory panel, submitting the name of its leader and Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu for consideration.
"As a pioneering affiliate member of the said coalition, it gives us pleasure to submit the name of our party leader Charity Ngilu for vetting, evaluation and consideration aforesaid," read the letter by Narc secretary general Fidellis Nguuli.
The party cited Ngilu's impressive political career spanning 30 years and her support for the former Prime Minister. She was a founding member of the dead-for-now Building Bridges Initiative.
Curiously, Ngilu was among high-profile women leaders who last week appealed to Raila to pick Karua as his running mate.
It is not clear if she had sanctioned the Narc party letter although, as its leader, it would be unlikely that such a major move would be made without her knowledge.
The Star learnt some of Raila's think tank members believe a Karua choice would give him the much-needed regional and gender appeal to turn the tables on Ruto in Mt Kenya.
But Raila is said to be preferring former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth because of his compatibility and easygoing personality.
A recent poll conducted and funded by Radio Africa Group indicated Kenneth is the most preferred Raila running mate, with 31 per cent support.
Kalonzo came second at 26 per cent, while Karua came third at 24 per cent.
There are reports an opinion poll will be commissioned to rate the popularity of Kalonzo and Karua before the advisory panel picks the top candidate.
Some forces within Raila's camp are said to be pitching for Kalonzo, arguing that the ticket would lock Ukambani votes and deliver a decisive victory against Ruto.
Those in this school of thought believe Kalonzo has a solid support base of more than 1.2 million votes, which might become shaky should Raila choose his running mate from Mt Kenya.
It has emerged that Kalonzo has moved to tame his allies from causing more friction in Azimio through their incessant demands for him to be Raila's running mate.
Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua revealed the party had resolved to give Raila the space to choose his running mate without any pressure.
"We will sit back and wait for him to make the decision and then see what happens after that. No more pressure. You will not hear anyone of us demanding anything, Wambua said.
He went on, “For us, where we have come as Wiper, a firm decision has been taken. Going forward, you will not hear us pushing anyone to give us any position.”
UDA chairman Johnson Muthama indicated they have already settled on the running mate.
Raila’s lawyer Paul Mwangi welcomed IEBC's move to climb down from its earlier deadline position and invite stakeholders for talks over deadlines for naming deputies..
Mwangi said they had understood IEBC's argument that they do not want to wait until the constitutional timeline.
"They do not want you to bring forth a name at the deadline of the process. And then possibly when there is a problem identified, they are unable to help you or rectify it as they will also have no power then,” he said.
(Edited by V. Graham)
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