The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi on Wednesday, August 12 addressed his plans to vie for President in the upcoming 2022 general elections.
The former Tongaren MP, based in Geneva, gave the clearest indication yet, that he planned on making a stab at the top seat.
Kituyi confirmed during an interview that he had put together an exploratory committee to look into the modalities of a potential State House bid.
Exploratory committees are formed by candidates ahead of elections and offer objective, detailed assessments of the planned bid, looking into aspects such as support base and resource mobilization.
"I have set up an exploratory team. I'm consulting with Kenyans from all parts of the country but the jury is still out.
"Increasingly, there's a chance that I will join the fray when I leave international public service," Kituyi asserted.
Kituyi, who joined UNCTAD in 2013, has become an unlikely key player in the President Uhuru Kenyatta succession race.
Media reports first alleged that he was being considered by Uhuru and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga as an ideal compromise candidate for 2022.
He was also linked to a potential 'third force' ticket alongside Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana who has declared his interest in becoming President.
Seeking a break from the past, a section of Kenyans had begun rallying support for the duo, citing their development records.
Kituyi, who previously served as Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Institute of Governance and Minister for Trade is considered a talented technocrat while Kibwana has earned plaudits for his handling of devolution as Governor of Makueni.
Since his election in 2013, Kibwana has set up projects in health, agriculture and manufacturing that have seen him consistently ranked among the top-performing governors.
In his interview, Kituyi also addressed trade wars between China and the United States making global headlines.
Addressing African countries including Kenya, Kituyi advised them to plan for the future by securing access to the African market for their products.
He warned that by prioritizing securing access to Chinese and American markets, African nations left themselves at the mercy of global shifts that could hurt them in the long run.
Watch Kituyi address his bid below:
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