G-7 in election plan to force run-off vote

The G7 alliance is working on plans of marshalling a combined 14 millions votes during the first round of the next presidential election to guarantee a run-off, a key member of the group has revealed.

United Republican Party leader William Ruto raised the bar as Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s presidential campaign secretariat said they have their own strategy which will ensure the candidate trounces his rivals in the first round. Read (Poll: Kenyans wary of tribal groupings)

The G7, which brings together Mr Ruto, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta has worked on a pre-election coalition pact that will be deposited with the Registrar of Political Parties once all details are agreed on.

“The agreement will be deposited with the registrar of Political Parties because it is a legal and a binding document. It will be signed by all the presidential aspirants to ensure that the rest would support the one who emerges victorious among them in case of a run-off,” said Assistant minister Kareke Mbiuki .

Multiple sources in the group said they were working on a three-pronged strategy where three of them will vie for the presidency during the first round to lock out Mr Odinga from key regions to deny him the majority he requires to win the election.

Should there be a run-off, they will then rally behind the leading candidate in their group.

Without giving details, Mr Ruto said: “We are targeting 14 million votes and that will be the end of the game. We want to win 70 per cent of the votes,” he said.

G7 strategists, who refused to be identified leaking confidential matters to the press, said each of the three candidates had already identified influential politicians from key regions who will be their respective running mates in the general election.

Mr Kenyatta is said to be eyeing Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa as his running mate despite the latter’s repeated pronouncements that he will be in the presidential race.

Mr Ruto has on the other hand presented Environment Minister Chirau Mwakwere as his most likely running mate while the VP is said to be courting former South Mugirango MP Omingo Magara for the number two role.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has already registered twelve million voters but hopes to register 18 million more before the next general election, according to its acting Chief Executive Officer James Oswago.

With an expected 87 per cent voter turnout, the G7 alliance plans to garner solid majorities in Mr Ruto’s Rift Valley and Mr Mwakwere’s Coast strongholds, Mr Kenyatta’s Mt Kenya and parts of Nairobi, Mr Musyoka’s lower Eastern, Mr Wamalwa’s Western province and Mr Magara’s Gusii strongholds with an estimated half of the total number of the registered voters.

Said Dujis MP Aden Duale: “We want to leave Raila with only Nyanza province”.

However, the PM’s presidential campaign secretariat laughed off the plans.

Director of Communications Barrack Muluka said: We are targeting all voters. We don’t want to lose any vote and we would like every voters to cast for the Prime Minister.”

Mr Muluka declined to discuss the PM’s campaign strategy stating they will keep all analysts guessing as they execute their campaign.

“We cannot discuss our strategy. The strategy we are using is for us to know and for everyone else to speculate,” he said.

Sources however stated that the PM has decided to work with professionals, identify fresh politicians in areas where his former allies have deserted him as strengthens support in areas which he is popular.

Mr Odinga’s campaign is also targeting the youth and the ODM youth caravan will go round the country to drum up support for their candidate.

Asked about the youth caravan, Mr Muluka said: “The Prime Minister is targeting the youth as he id doing to all voters. The Youth caravan will go everywhere, not just areas where his former allies, if you may call, have deserted.”

The two sides, however, have to content with the entry of deputy PM Musalia Mudavadi who quit ODM to join United Democratic Forum to realise his presidential ambitions.

An ally of Mr Musyoka, Machakos Town MP Victor Munyaka said that they will continue selling the VP as their candidate even as they remain part of G7.

“We are concentrating on popularizing our candidate in readiness for the general election and that is why you see the VP traversing the country marketing himself as the most suited candidate to succeed president Kibaki,” Mr Munyaka said.

Reports by Bernard Namunane, Oliver Mathenge and Peter Leftie