Saitoti to take part in G7 nominations

PNU chairman George Saitoti will participate in joint presidential primaries of the G7 Alliance under the party’s banner, a PNU official has said.

PNU organising secretary Maina Kamanda said Prof Saitoti was keen on working with other G7 leaders.

“We all know that no one individual can win the presidency on their own and, therefore, you can remain assured that we will all come together and  get a single candidate,” Mr Kamanda said on Saturday.

In the most clear indication that Prof Saitoti was still willing to work with his PNU allies, Mr Kamanda said that the Internal Security Minister “will be involved in the G7 Alliance joint nominations” if they are held.

The three Kibaki allies have declared their interest in running for the presidency in the forthcoming General Election.

Although Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka are seen to be working together, Prof Saitoti has so far been seen as taking a lone-ranger approach to the campaigns.

Under their arrangement, the three would hold a joint nomination that would see one of them run for the top seat.

“All these parties that have been allied to the PNU, even Ruto’s party (United Republican Party) and others will, at one time, come back to the main fold so that we can win the election in the first round with a 60 per cent majority of the all the votes cast.

“We are not interested in going for a presidential runoff,” he said. Mr Kamanda said that the PNU was interested in a pre-election coalition.