After a long wait, speaking at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, the ODM leader and presidential candidate to be held in Kenya on 9 August announced that Martha Karua will be his deputy in the event of the election.
Known as the ‘Iron Lady’, Karua has long served in the political ranks, holding ministries such as Justice and Water Resources Management and Development. The reasons mentioned by Odinga that led him to choose her as deputy relate to her activism as a lawyer in the area of human rights and gender issues.
The nomination, however, created a rift in the Azimio coalition the Umoja One Kenya. The secretary of the Wiper Kenya party, Kalonzo Musyoka, decided to leave the coalition and run on his own. Musyoka had been appointed by Odinga as cabinet secretary and, in the ideas of the presidential candidate, was supposed to assist him in forming the government, should they win. Musyoka also warned Odinga that this move would create much discontent within the party.
As a precondition for rejoining the coalition, Musyoka reportedly asked Odinga that the entire Lower East region be reserved for his party.
Both coalitions are, therefore, torn between building their offensive for the next elections and constantly looking at home to deal with a series of conflicts. This could detract from their performance, less than three months before the elections.
