The main contenders in next year’s presidential race, William Ruto and Raila Odinga, have launched an all-out charm offensive to find the best running mate to rally the vote-rich Mt Kenya region to their sides.
With barely 11 months to the polls, ODM leader Raila Odinga and Deputy President William Ruto have been making inroads in the GEMA community that holds the running mate key for hopefuls as it is unlikely to field a serious presidential candidate.
This comes barely a day after politicians from the vote-rich Mt Kenya region vowed to support a presidential candidate who will guarantee them the deputy president post in the highly anticipated 2022 presidential election.
With President Uhuru Kenyatta’s turf becoming a hunting ground for running mates among bigwigs seeking to occupy the State House in 2022, Kivumbi.co.ke has compiled a list of leaders from the Mt Kenya region who could possibly deputise Raila Odinga and William Ruto in the 2022 presidential race.
Peter Kenneth
Raila Odinga’s think tanks are believed to be considering the former Gatanga Member of Parliament Peter Kenneth to deputise the former Prime Minister in the hotly anticipated 2022 presidential election.
The 2013 presidential aspirant has been an ardent defender of President Uhuru Kenyatta and his handshake counterpart Raila Odinga
Mutahi Kagwe
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has not been left out of President Uhuru Kenyatta 2022 succession matrix.
While a section of Raila Odinga’s think tanks is angling for Peter Kenneth to be Raila running mate, others are proposing the former Senator of Nyeri County to be Raila’s running mate
Justin Muturi
Despite insisting that he will be on the ballot for the top seat in 2022, a section of political leaders says National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi could make the best running mate for presidential bigwigs.
Earlier this week, Muturi said some unnamed government investigative agencies have been threatening him with prosecutions due to his 2022 presidential ambitions.
Muturi who was previously considered a key ally of President Uhuru Kenyatta has been gravitating towards the deputy president signaling that he could be named William Ruto’s running mate.
Mwangi Kiunjuri
Former Devolution and Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri had offered himself to be William Ruto’s running mate.
However, his close ties with the deputy president appear to be shaky in the recent past after he shot down William Ruto’s call that all parties affiliated to his UDA must fold.
Despite the deteriorating relationship with Ruto, The Service Party leader remains on the radar to deputise William Ruto in the 2022 General Election.
Moses Kuria
The outspoken Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria’s political journey has been on an upward trajectory.
Just like Kiunjuri, Kuria and Narck Kenya party leader Martha Karua have insisted that the Mt Kenya region must produce the president failure to which the vote-rich region must produce a deputy president for the August 2022 General Election.
Kuria had earlier on offered to be William Ruto’s running mate but their relationship appears shaky especially after the DP told him to fold his Chama Cha Kazi party and join the United Democratic Alliance.
Despite the differences between him and former Agriculture Minister, Kuria is on the hustler camp radar as the best to deputise William Ruto.
Rigathi Gachagua
Mathira Member of Parliament Rigathi Gachagua has been an ardent supporter of Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto.
Due to his financial masses, Gachagua who recently claimed that he bankrolled President Uhuru Kenyatta’s campaigns has not been left out in the hunt to be William Ruto’s running mate
Lee Kinyanjui
Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui has hosted the opposition chief Raila Odinga severally at his Nakuru office raising suspicions that he could be discussing to be Raila’s running mate.
Kinyanjui who is serving his final Constitutional term as the county boss could be working out to remain in Kenya’s political arena even after exiting the top county job.
Peter Munya
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya has expressed interest in the Presidency ahead of the 2022 General Election.
While admitting that he is free to work with like-minded leaders, Munya said he was ready to be a running mate adding that he cannot work with William Ruto.
He accused the deputy president of claiming that he wanted to assassinate him, pointing to a possibility that he can deputise Raila Odinga.
