NAIROBI, Kenya May 4 – Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka now says that he will not face the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya seven-member panel interviewing candidates for the position of running mate.
A defiant Musyoka told The Standard that he would not allow himself to be humiliated by subjecting himself to the process that is seeking to identify Raila Odinga’s running mate.
Odinga is the coalition’s presidential flag bearer.
“I want to tell all Kenyans that I will not attend the said process. I find the entire thing demeaning to my person and will therefore distance myself from it,” he said.
Eight candidates including Musyoka have expressed to be Odinga’s deputy in the August polls.
Kenya Kwanza Alliance co-principal and Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula had on April 28, 2022 urged Musyoka to stop subjecting himself to “humiliation and ridicule” in his pursuit of the running mate position in the Azimio coalition.
The former Vice President has made it clear that “it will present a challenge if Odinga does not pick me (him) as his running mate” and criticized the panel’s efforts noting “that the panel will do all manner of things, conduct scientific opinion polls but we know the winning formula and so let us not beat around the bush.”
Those scheduled to be interviewed include: NARC Kenya Party Leader Martha Karua, Narc Party Leader Charity Ngilu, former Gatanga Member of Parliament Peter Kenneth, Governors Ali Hassan Joho (Mombasa), Lee Kinyanjui (Nakuru), Alfred Mutua (Machakos) and Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya.
According to the coalition’s Secretary General Junet Mohamed, the panel is expected to submit the name of the successful candidate to Odinga by May 10, 2022.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) set the deadline for the submission of presidential aspirants’ names together with those of their running mates to May 16, 2022.
The 7-member team includes Bishop Peter Njenga, Archbishop Zachaos Okoth, Senator Enoch Wambua and Michael Orwa.
Other members are Former MP Noah wekesa, Sheikh Khalifa and Beatrice Askul.
The panel Secretary shall be Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elizabeth Meyo.
The 7-member team will sieve through the list of probable candidates and arrive at a decision through consensus.
The first onslaught for the team will be to agree on the rules of procedure for arriving at key running mate candidate for the coalition which has a sore thumb for the coalition.
Meyo said the candidates considered for the post will have a meeting with the panel on diverse dates.
The panel which was appointed after consultations with the Coalition party Council, chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta further reiterated that the candidates must observe fidelity to the Constitution of Kenya, and must have demonstrated a record of public leadership and service among other qualities.
Other requirements by the panel are; accountability to the public for decisions and actions and discipline and commitment in service to the people.
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