Fresh off the heels of President Uhuru Kenyatta's gazettement as Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition's chair, it has been revealed that he will play a key role in influencing the choice of party leader Raila Odinga's running mate.
Media reports indicate that under the new structure, President Kenyatta has five members in the Azimio coalition council, Raila has four while Wiper's Kalonzo Musyoka has one council slot.
The council members will have the say-so through a balloting exercise in order to determine the next running mate. This means that both Uhuru and Raila took the lion's share in the council slots.
It is reported that Uhuru has tasked the committee of five of his trusted members to conduct several scientific opinion polls in a bid to evaluate the popularity of two preferable running mate candidates.
The committee will then present a report to Uhuru who will then table it to the council.
The leaders fronted as the potential running mate include Kalonzo, former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth, NARC-Kenya party leader Martha Karua and Laikipia Governor Nderitu Muriithi.
The number of slots in the council has brought about divisions within the coalition with a section of leaders allied to the Wiper faction alleging that Kalonzo should have received more slots. The leaders cried foul, terming it as a plot to shortchange him out of the position.
"It's very clear why we are supporting Azimio la Umoja and it's because we believe that Kalonzo Musyoka will be the running mate," Kitui Senator Enock Wambua stated.
Other members in the council include KANU's Gideon Moi, Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho, Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu, Murang'a Woman Representative Sabina Chege, and Suna East MP Junet Mohamed.
The gazettement of the coalition on Thursday, April 14, revealed that the coalition will have a National Coalition Executive Council NEC), which will be chaired by Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya.
He will be deputized by Eldas MP Adnan Keynan, lawyer Ken Nyaundi, and Jubilee Party Vice Chairperson David Murathe.
