I will not endorse anyone, Raila Odinga declares

Marsabit Jubilee defectors' group leader Ibrahim Gollo (left) with ODM leader Raila Odinga (centre), Marsabit ODM co-ordinator Halima Daro and ODM Chairman John Mbadi at Orange House, yesterday. Raila said he will not endorse anyone for the presidency in next year’s General Election. (PHOTO: BEVERLYNE MUSILI/ STANDARD)

Opposition leader Raila Odinga will not endorse anyone for the presidency in next year’s General Election.

Instead, the ODM party leader declared that competitive nomination will be the only way to pick CORD’s presidential flag bearer, dashing hopes of his partners, who have been seeking his endorsement.

Raila said CORD co-principals Kalonzo Musyoka of Wiper party and Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula should market themselves across the country before the coalition settles on the most popular candidate to face President Uhuru Kenyatta on August 8, 2017.

The ODM leader likened the contest to suitors trying to win over a beautiful girl.

“This is a beautiful girl and everyone is trying to market themselves, saying I am the best suited. The girl will make a decision,” said Raila, yesterday.

Raila made the remarks even as he downplayed claims of cracks within the Opposition coalition over the picking of its presidential candidate.

He said the coalition was united and will deal with the nomination issue at the right time.

The three principals had agreed to go round the country to market the affiliate parties before they can retreat to discuss nomination issues, he added.

“In a coalition, the strength is determined by the weakest link. So each party has been given a mandate to go round and strengthen itself then we shall meet and deal with the nomination issue. Nomination in our view is the last item that we are going to deal with. At the moment, we are more concerned with strengthening our parties,” Raila said.

On a mission

He added: “We as ODM are on a mission to energise our presence across the country. I want it to be known that it is an agreement in CORD that constituent parties strengthen themselves because the stronger the parties are, the stronger the coalition.”

Doubts over unity of the three CORD leaders have deepened in the last couple of days as each outfit insists its party leader was the most suited for the ticket, leaving the country guessing over the future of the coalition ahead of the polls, which are 10 months away.

Mr Kalonzo and Mr Wetang’ula over the weekend separately called on Raila to endorse them for the presidency.

Kalonzo said he had sacrificed a lot and it was time for Raila to reciprocate by supporting him. And in Narok, Mr Wetang’ula said Raila should shelve his presidential ambition due to his age and support him for the top seat.

The demands angered Raila’s close allies and supporters who dismissed the endorsement demands by the two leaders.

But yesterday, Raila said there were no cracks in the coalition and that what was going on was a marketing strategy by the constituent parties.

“In our last retreat, we agreed that we will go to the elections as a coalition not as one united party like Jubilee,” said Raila.

This puts to an end talks of registering CORD as a political party, an idea which was first floated by Kalonzo.

Raila said the coalition would embark on picking its candidate early next year.