We know our CORD presidential candidate, says Senators Muthama and Orengo

CORD Co-chairmen James Orengo and Johnstone Muthama (left) address the Press at Parliament Buildings on 13/10/16 [PHOTO: MOSES OMUSULA/Standard]

Two Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) leaders have said the delay in naming their presidential flag bearer for the next elections is a secret weapon against President Uhuru Kenyatta's Jubilee Party.

Senators Johnstone Muthama (Machakos) and James Orengo (Siaya), the co-chairmen of CORD's management committee, yesterday said the coalition will smoothly pick its candidate to prove its unity ahead of the General Election.

Muthama said they already know the flag bearer.

"As long as we remain in CORD with my brother here (Orengo), even if you cry, even if Jubilee prays seven times a day, we will not name our presidential candidate now. But we have him in our pockets," he said.

"We are not worried about the noises being made from all quarters, we are calm because we know what our strategy is and it remains a strange music to the outsiders," he said.

Muthama said they were aware that JP was eagerly waiting and using all tactics to know who will face President Kenyatta in next year's polls.

"We want to assure them that CORD's composition and foundation is so deeply rooted that only a few of us know how it was formed and how far it has come because we were played in 2013 and we have revised our strategies," he said.

"Know that we are intact and will win the next elections."

The two leaders spoke in Kisumu on the sidelines of a Senate consultative meeting on devolution presided over by Speaker Ekwee Ethuro.

Orengo said CORD has mechanisms to keep it intact until and after the General Election .

"Our coalition has survived the years since the last elections and this is a demonstration that we are intact and will solve any outstanding issues," he said.

Orengo described the jostling for the flagbearer and leadership positions within CORD constituent parties as normal.

"The fight for leadership is the way it should be," he said.