May 2 marked 100 days until this summer’s elections in Kenya, which will be held on 9 August this year. Against a backdrop of strong internal rivalry between the two camps, the first name of the vice-president arrived. He is the vice-president of William Ruto, the current vice-president and challenger of the coalition of the current president and the historic opposition leader, Raila Odinga, who is running for premier.
The choice fell on Rigathi Gachagua after a tight battle of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) MPs for the choice of a deputy candidate that saw Gachagua and Tharaka Nithi County Senator Kithure Kindiki facing off to the last.
A Member of Parliament for Mount Kenya County, originally a loyalist of Kenyatta’s – he was his personal assistant – relations between the latter and Gachagua broke down when Ruto and Kenyatta chose to join the former’s project.
After the break-up Gachagua was investigated for corruption, leading to the freezing of his bank accounts. The MP from Mount Kenya blamed the current President Kenyatta for these choices of the judiciary, believing that they were aimed at prosecuting those who had not followed him in the project and had left the party.
For the other side, the One Kenya coalition, led by Raila Odinga, the name has not yet been announced despite the deadline approaching. A panel had been set up this week to present three candidates to Odinga. However, the choice is proving to be a tough one for the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader who has yet to announce a name. The announcement is expected to come early this week.
