The number of shortlisted candidates seeking to be the running mate to the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Alliance presidential candidate Raila Odinga has risen to 11.
This follows the inclusion of Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya, his Nakuru counterpart Lee Kinyanjui and Peter Munya.
In a statement on Saturday, the chairman of the seven-member secretariat, Noah Wekesa, said the inclusion of the three followed complaints by their respective constituent parties that they had been unfairly locked out.
"Upon inquiry into this matter this morning, the panel has established that there were applications which had been submitted to the campaign secretariat and had unfortunately not been forwarded to the panel as no such communication had been anticipated,” Wekesa said.
Oparanya is a member of the ODM party, Munya is PNU party leader while Kinyanjui is the Ubuntu party leader.
"The panel has considered the matter this afternoon and has reviewed the shortlist made yesterday,” he added.
The eight candidates who were shortlisted on Friday are Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Martha Karua (Narc Kenya) Kitui governor Charity Ngilu (NARC) and Mombasa governor Hassan Joho (ODM).
Others are Muranga Woman Representative Sabina Chege (Jubilee), Peter Kenneth (Jubilee), Gideon Moi (Kanu) and Stephen Tarus of the National Liberty Party.
The candidates were shortlisted from 20 applicants.
Wekesa revealed that the panel has arrived at the criteria and modalities that will be used to evaluate the applications that have been submitted.
He said the evaluation criteria will enable the panel to pick the three best candidates whose names will then be submitted to Raila at the end of the selection exercise on May 10, 2022.
"Further, the panel has in its meeting today resolved to engage the candidates on the 9th and 10th of May, 2022 on their applications," Wekesa said.
The brief came amid fears of cracks within the seven-member selection panel after Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua threatened to quit the team.
Wambua claimed that Kitui governor Charity Ngilu´s name had been sneaked into the shortlist despite the panel having unanimously settled on only seven names during its meeting on Friday.
