SHORTLIST: Ngilu locked out of DP post, Kalonzo comes third

 Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party presidential candidate Mr Raila Odinga will choose from a list of three running mates that a panel of eminent personalities has reportedly settled on from a list of ten according to a Daily Nation report.

In what appears to be a delicate balancing of rich basket of votes on the one hand and experience of the DP post on the other, the Dr Noah Wekesa team has settled on Narc Kenya party leader Martha Karua, former Gatanga legislator Peter Kenneth and ex-Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka to be Odinga’s running mate.

While Raila is not tied to pick from recommendations of the panel, he will have to balance between having a running mate likely to command about 5.9 million votes from Mt Kenya region and 2 million votes from Ukambani which has proven loyalty to him for the 2013 and 2017 general elections.

Popularity

Odinga was voted for by Ukambani with a turn out of over 80 per cent to his presidential basket but his popularity in Mt Kenya is not guaranteed given he commands less than 70 per cent of them according to pollsters.

“We finished the job and we were ready to give the report today (May 11). Little did we know that the presidential candidate would be out of town”, Dr Wekesa told reporters at Serena Hotel in Nairobi.

The 10 shortlisted candidates included Kitui Governor Ms Charity Ngilu, Hassan Joho of Mombasa and Nakuru’s Lee Kinyanjui.

Others were Murang’a Woman Rep Sabina Chege and National Liberal Party leader Stephen Tarus.

Baringo Senator Gideon Moi did not turn up for the interviews. He backed out in favour of Mr Musyoka.

STORY By MWINGI TIMES CORRESPONDENT