Race between Uhuru and I: Raila

Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Wednesday said the 2013 presidential race a contest between him and Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta.

Mr Odinga said his party was laying grounds for a big competition with rivals and announced that a revised ODM campaign manifesto designed for the 2013 elections would be launched soon.

He described the Monday by-elections in which Mr Kenyatta’s The National Alliance (TNA) won two seats against ODM’s one as an early indication the two-horse race was beginning to shape up.

The PM was speaking at the launch of a new team of commissioners to oversee the ODM primaries set for January next year.

National convention

“As I have always said now you can see that the two-horse race is beginning to shape up.”

Mr Odinga also announced that his party would hold its national convention in December to allow delegates to make key decisions including nominating its presidential candidate before the March 4, 2013, General Election.

The eight-member National Elections Board (NEB) will now be led by retired army captain Henry Kathurima, who has been appointed new chairman replacing Mr Philip Okundi.

Mr Okundi resigned to contest the Homa Bay governor’s seat.

Other members of the new NEB include Mr James Ogundo, Dr Joseph Misoi, Ms Judy Pareno, Mr Chacha Nyaigoti Chacha, Ms Beatrice Saban, Ms Hellen Nayuko Katangie and Mr Ibrahim Mohammed.

“Our manifesto is now ready and will be launched soon. It captures our aspirations including our desire to launch a social health scheme that will bring poor Kenyans on board,” the PM hinted.

Reiterating that elections would be held on March 4 as planned, Mr Odinga called on women candidates to come out in large numbers as ODM would support their candidatures.

“We want women candidates to be confident. And we are appealing to those still undecided to come up because we at the Orange will support them,” Mr Odinga stated.

He appealed to the new elections board to conduct democratic and acceptable nominations that will ensure the party maintained its stability even after the expected acrimonious campaigns associated with party primaries.

“We want this new elections board to be impartial and to ensure it conducts credible nominations,” Mr Odinga said.

The PM warned that ODM would not offer nomination favours to any candidate, telling aspirants to campaign strongly and let voters have the final say on the nominees.

Party chairman Henry Kosgey, who also attended the event at the Fairview Hotel, assured those preparing to contest through ODM that the party nominations would be free and fair.

“Nobody will get our ticket just because he knows one or two people at the party headquarters,” Mr Kosgey said.

Mr Kathurima said his team would ensure its operations were above board.

“We are committed to the responsibility given to us by the party and we are going to make sure we handle it with care,” he said.