Running mate choice must meet need for diversity

Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu with Martha Karua and other women league leaders during Azimio Women Movement caucus meeting at Jacaranda Hotel in Westlands. [Paul Mutua, Standard]

The choice of who becomes the running mate to top presidential hopefuls has proved to be a delicate matter.

For the candidates, it’s a major quandary and has to be handled with utmost wisdom so as not to play into the hands of the competition. Even in vibrant liberal democracies, manifesto, vision and choice of the running mate is a make or break affair because it envisions what the coalition ticket will stand for. For example, the choice of Kamala Harris helped win the presidency for Joe Biden because apart from the race, she added the gender factor to cement the authority of Democrats as the party for inclusivity, equality and unity.