Political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi has suggested that Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui is a better running mate for ODM leader Raila Odinga compared to NARC-K leader Martha Karua.
In a tweet on Thursday, December 2, Ngunyi said that the Nakuru Governor will be beneficial to Raila Odinga than even Karua, who unsuccessfully vied for the presidency in the 2013 General Election.
He further opined that while Raila Odinga preferred Martha Karua as his running mate for the 2022 presidential race, the iron lady seem unwilling to take the position.
The political analyst also suggested that Lee Kinyanjui resemblance to late President Daniel Moi -who had been rumored to be his father- also makes him a good candidate for the post.
“Because Martha Karua is playing hard to get, Lee Kinyanjui will be Raila Odinga’s deputy. There are more Rift Valley Kikuyus than mountain Kikuyus,
“Lee represents Rift valley Kikuyus and because he looks like (the late retired president Daniel) Moi, he will also represent the Kalenjin nation. Any question?” Mutahi Ngunyi posed.
His sentiments come after reports that Raila Odinga’s camp is keen on having a Kikuyu as a running mate so as to completely capture the Mt Kenya votes in the presidential election.
The strategist identified Martha Karua, Lee Kinyanjui, and former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth as possible running mates for Raila Odinga.
As Ngunyi now puts it, the kitchen cabinet considered Karua as a good catch since she is preferred by many.
However, they had fears that the ‘iron lady’ is very abrasive, and will give them a hard time as the political analyst opines.
On the other hand, the fact that Nakuru Governor comes from the Rift Valley region also reduced his chances of being a good catch.
This is because they prefer an indigenous Kikuyu from Central Kenya in order to appease the huge voting block.
The team maintained that the candidate should be someone who has a good relationship with Raila Odinga himself so as not to experience disagreements in government.
Martha Karua is on record saying she does not want to deputise any presidential aspirant but battle for the Kirinyaga Gubernatorial seat in the 2022 General Election.
