The Azimio alliance, led by former prime minister Raila Odinga, is in uproar over his ambitions to defeat Deputy President William Ruto in the August elections.
According to reports, parties affiliated with the Azimio la Umoja are against Raila’s plans to run one candidate against UDA candidates in places where there are more than two candidates from those parties.
One of the topics up for discussion and approval at the Azimio council meeting that President Uhuru Kenyatta called today (Friday, June 24) is a plan to calm sibling rivalry within the coalition.
Speaking on Wednesday, Kakamega governor and Azimio National Executive Council (NEC) chairperson, Wycliffe Oparanya, revealed that they have already commissioned a team to do polls on the popularity of the coalition’s candidates.
He stated that the report would be discussed by the party members and the perceived weak candidates will be asked to step down.
“By the end of the month, we shall know which candidates will fly our flag where and in which positions,” Oparanya stated.
However, the strategy will be used in counties perceived as battlegrounds for both Deputy President William Ruto and the ODM boss, Raila Odinga.
Additionally, the coalition will also rely on intelligence collected by various government agencies to gauge the popularity of candidates.
Some of the counties targeted in the strategy include those in the vote-rich Mount Kenya, Western, Eastern, and Coast region.
During her campaigns in Mount Kenya, Azimio presidential running mate, Martha Karua, defended the strategy stating that it will give them an upper hand in the August 9 polls.
She stated that the coalitions would make the process consultative in a bid to tame fallout within its members.
