Kakamega Governor and former Council of Governors chairman, Wycliffe Oparanya, has laughed off an alleged plan by the One Kenya Alliance (OKA) to force a run-off in the 2022 presidential election.
Speaking in Kakamega County on Thursday, November 11, Oparanya argued that OKA co-principals, Musalia Mudavadi (ANC), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Gideon Moi (KANU) and Moses Wetangula (Ford-Kenya) were out to split votes.
Their main agenda, he added, was excluding Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader, Raila Odinga, from the run-off. Raila and OKA leaders have been embroiled in countless public rows with the latter accusing the former Prime Minister of betraying them and coercing them to support him in his fifth stab at the presidency.
“OKA won’t be successful. If you sit with them, they will clearly and boldly tell you that they want a run-off. What do you want to do with a run-off?
“If you win an election, you form the government, the first runners-up forms the opposition, the third joins a group called others. That’s where OKA will be,” Oparanya trolled.
He further castigated Mudavadi for allegedly disowning the Luhya community by abandoning the ODM party and hoping a run-off would suit his agenda.
“If you are paid to force a run-off, does the money reach us as a community or does he benefit alone?” Oparanya wondered in a thinly-veiled attack at Mudavadi.
The ODM Deputy Party leader was at a public participation forum where residents gave their views on the development agenda for the Kakamega County.
Development and political analysts opine that a three-horse race, with Raila, Ruto and OKA alliance may be witnessed in 2022 if the three parties fail to reach pacts among themselves.
Gatundu South MP, Moses Kuria, in a poll shared on his social media pages in October 2021, opined that the race may be a four-horse scenario, comprising of party leaders, Raila, Mudavadi, Kalonzo and Ruto, while the second scenario may be a two-horse pitting Ruto against Raila.
He projected Ruto to lead with 6.3 million votes (40.97 percent) with Raila second garnering 5.7 million (36.84 per cent). This will prompt a run-off where Raila would beat Ruto by amassing 8.1 million votes (52.28 per cent) as compared to the DP’s 7.4 million votes (47.72 per cent).
Section 138 of the Constitution dictates that a candidate shall be declared elected as President if the contestant receives more than half of all the votes cast in the election plus one vote (50 per cent + one vote), and at least 25 per cent of the votes cast in each of more than half of the counties.
If no candidate is elected, a fresh election shall be held within 60 days after the previous election.
