President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto yesterday presented their nomination papers to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to officially kick-start what is arguably the last of the five-decade-old political duels between the revered families of fallen nationalists Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga and his runing mate Kalonzo Musyoka in the National Super Alliance (Nasa) had presented their credentials to IEBC on Sunday morning.
For the second time in five years Uhuru and Raila will be going for what has been dubbed a two-horse race, a rematch of their 2013 duel. It is another rekindling of the Kenyatta-Odinga rivalry.
Their fathers, once dear bosom friends, fell out in 1967 following a high-octane power struggle within the independence party Kanu. Since then, Kenya’s post-independence political landscape has largely gravitated around their prominent families.
During the 10th Parliament that formed the Grand Coalition Government of retired President Mwai Kibaki which was cobbled after the post-election chaos of 2007/8, Raila served as Prime Minister and Co-odinator of Government Affairs while Uhuru held the portfolio of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance.
With or without victory, both combatants will by all indications sit out in 2022 given that Raila has signed a pre-election agreement with his co-principals not to run again, whereas Uhuru has already laid the ground for a William Ruto candidacy after his.
Raila, 73, will be making his fourth stab at the presidency after making unsuccessful attempts in 1997, 2007 and 2013, while 55-year-old Uhuru will be third time on the ballot after first losing to Kibaki in 2002 before winning in the last General Election.
It will be Kenya’s biggest election ever, with an estimated 19.5 million voters for the taking. With each side commanding at least two solid strongholds, the battle will be fought and won in the swing regions where each has a foothold.
The main ‘yours for the asking’ regions as seen as Nairobi, Kisii, Narok, Upper Eastern, North Eastern, Coast, Turkana and Samburu. However, it is Jubilee that is seen as having eaten larger tracts that were solely opposition in 2013, seeing as large swathes of North and North-Eastern, Upper-Eastern and parts of Gusii regions have to varied extents cast their lot with the ruling party.
In the Nasa power-sharing pact, Mudavadi was handed the position of Premier Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Co-ordination in the event that Nasa wins the election, Wetang’ula the Deputy Premier for Finance and while Ruto was named as Deputy Premier for Devolution, which positions Jubilee luminaries have been quick to dismiss as non-existent in the constitution. UhuRuto return with a replica card of 2013 when they won against many odds.
Curiously, the political clouts for both families may wane after this election as figures related to both the Kenyatta and Jaramogi families will not be contesting for any elective seats in this year’s General Election after either voluntarily withdrawing or losing to opponents in party nominations.
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