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Raila Odinga taps Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi as his campaign head

Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi.

Photo credit: File

ODM leader Raila Odinga has appointed Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi as the chairman of his 2022 presidential campaign secretariat.

The team, called a board, also has former Kenya Revenue Authority deputy commissioner Elizabeth Meyo as secretary, said a statement issued by Mr Odinga on Wednesday. Ms Meyo will also be the campaign CEO.

The board will work on Mr Odinga’s manifesto that will guide the former Prime Minister’s campaign and messaging.

The Laikipia County boss, Mr Odinga said, has vast experience in leadership and management that will be vital in his State House bid.

Mr Odinga also praised Mr Muriithi as playing a key role in the elevation of major towns in Laikipia and empowering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

“Governor Muriithi was instrumental in the drive to have the derelict Nairobi-Nanyuki and Gilgil-Nyahururu railway lines rehabilitated. Upon his election as Governor of Laikipia in 2017, Mr Muriithi embarked on radical reforms of the county public service to make it professional and globally competitive,” Mr Odinga said.

“These efforts have been rewarded with unmatched growth of the county's own source revenue which has doubled since the 2016/2017 financial year.”

He added: “Mr Muriithi is also credited with modernising key towns of Laikipia under his Smart Towns Initiative funded partially by the World Bank's Urban Support and Devolution Support programmes.”

Mr Odinga is in a cut-throat competition with Deputy President William Ruto to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta in the August General Election. He has brought in Ms Meyo, now consulting with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), on board, banking on her experience over three decades of administrative and strategic experience.

Ms Meyo will be the spokesperson for Mr Odinga’s campaign secretariat, with the ODM boss seeming to count on her tax expertise to come up with radical reforms that will be vital in his campaign pledges.

“Ms Meyo will be the overall chief executive of the campaign, implement its strategic and key decisions, head the campaign secretariat, and make all vital decisions. She will be the sole campaign spokesperson,” he said.

Mr Odinga, earlier last month, announced a highlight of his vision for the country, what he called the “People’s Programmes”, which will form the basis of his manifesto.

The 10-point programme has social protection, universal healthcare, job creation, women’s empowerment, investing in youth, education for all, food security, water for all, enterprise Kenya and building on past successes.

Digital economy

“Very soon, I will unveil a detailed manifesto addressing other critical concerns like corruption, public debt, industrialisation, digital economy and promotion and protection of businesses and, particularly, protection of private property,” Mr Odinga said at the launch of the Azimio la Umoja movement at Moi International Sports Stadium, Kasarani.

“My manifesto will bear a crystallised description of the Ten Point People’s Programme, delving into the workings and plans that will actualise it for the people.”

Already, three names have been floated as possible running mates for Mr Odinga – former MP Peter Kenneth, Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua and Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui.

The strengths and weaknesses of each of the three will be assessed before Mr Odinga settles on one.

“I think it is premature right now to talk about a running mate. We still have seven months and we will discuss with our other colleagues and identify a suitable person as a running mate,” Mr Odinga said recently.

Mr Odinga first ran for the country's top seat in 1997 on the National Development Party (NDP) ticket and came third after President Daniel Arap Moi (Kanu), who won, and Mwai Kibaki of the Democratic Party, who came second.

Former vice-president Michael Kijana Wamalwa of Ford Kenya was fourth while Kitui Governor Charity Kaluki Ngilu, then with the Social Democratic Party (SDP), emerged fifth.

In 2002, Mr Odinga teamed up with Wamalwa, Mrs Ngilu and a host of other Kanu stalwarts and rallied behind Mr Kibaki, who flew the National Alliance Rainbow Coalition (Narc) flag, ending Kanu's 40-year rule.

In 2007, Mr Odinga, running on an ODM ticket, made his second stab at the top seat and was declared first-runner up to Mr Kibaki of the Party of National Unity (PNU), in one of the country's most controversial elections.

Prime Minister

The declaration of Mr Kibaki as winner against Mr Odinga, who was backed by several top leaders including William Ruto, was followed by violence and protests across the country, leading to month-long negotiations that resulted in the formation of the Grand Coalition Government with the ODM boss as the Prime Minister.

The defunct Electoral Commission of Kenya chairman Samuel Kivuitu declared Mr Kibaki winner with 4,584,721 votes against Mr Odinga's 4,352,993 while Orange Democratic Movement-Kenya (ODM-K) candidate Kalonzo Musyoka received 8,79,903.

Come 2013, Mr Odinga again joined forces with other politicians, including Mr Musyoka, and formed the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord) on whose ticket he vied for President, coming second to President Uhuru Kenyatta, then of The National Alliance Party (TNA).

Mr Odinga received 5,340,546 votes against Mr Kenyatta's 6,173,433 while the then United Democratic Forum (UDF) party leader Musalia Mudavadi managed 483,981.

In his fourth attempt in 2017, the ODM leader once again came second to President Kenyatta of the Jubilee Party, an election he successfully challenged at the Supreme Court.

He had received 6,822,812 votes against President Kenyatta's 8,223,369, results that were annulled by Chief Justice David Maraga (now retired) on the grounds that the election was marred by "massive irregularities and illegalities in the transmission of results which affected the integrity of the poll".