Former UDA party vice-chairperson Kipruto Arap Kirwa has said Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition party leader Raila Odinga could still vie for presidency in 2027.
The former Agriculture minister said Raila, 77, will still be formidable in the next polls despite his age.
Kirwa, who ditched UDA for Azimio la Umoja months before the August 9, presidential election said age is not a major factor for one to be elected president.
The seasoned politician stated that for one to be elected president in Kenya, the candidate must be present and be in tune with the wishes of the voters.
“I would be hesitant to write the obituary of any politician. Raila maybe 81 or 82 (years) in the next election. This, therefore, means he is still formidable. To be elected you do not need to be so energetic, you just need to be present and be in tune with the wishes of the people,” he said.
Kirwa further cited Kenya’s tough economic climate as a factor that could work against President William Ruto if not addressed by his administration.
This, he said, could turn out to be an advantage for the former Prime Minister should he seek to give the presidency a sixth stab.
“The way I see the next five years is that the debt burden by 2025 will be high, unemployment will be high yet the hope that the people of Kenya have in President William Ruto, especially the young population, is so overwhelming that it can turn into some sort of backlash and so Raila is still in this town and we never measure somebody’s life by the extent of his age,” he said in an interview with K24 TV.
Raila lost his fifth attempt to William Ruto in the just-concluded General Election after he polled 6.9 million votes against the 7.1 million votes that Ruto garnered according to IEBC results.
