DP Ruto: My running mate choice is the easiest

Deputy President William Ruto has described as the “easiest” his August General Election running mate choice, assuring his supporters that the name will be unveiled before the Monday May 16 deadline.

The Kenya Kwanza Alliance boss said the running mate choice—who becomes deputy president if the candidate wins the presidential race—was not among those he was spending sleepless nights over.

“The issue of running mate is an important one, but it does not give us sleepless nights because we are an alliance built on people’s issues, not leaders’ positions. So that of running mate is the easiest of the issues,” Dr Ruto said at his Karen official residence after receiving Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi-led Pamoja African Alliance (PAA).

The DP added: “As Kenya Kwanza, and as a candidate in the next general election, we will have our running mate forwarded to the IEBC before the deadline.”

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has set a Monday May 16 deadline for presidential aspirants to nominate their running mates.

The deadline had been moved from its initial April 28 date after parties asked for more time.

One of those said to be in a prime slot to bag running mate slot in the DP’s camp is Tharaka-Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki, who played a key role in the signing and the depositing of the Kenya Kwanza coalition agreement as well as the just-concluded United Democratic Alliance (UDA) nominations.

Others in the race are Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi, National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi, Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua and Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru.

PAA, the Mr Kingi-led party asked that the Kenya Kwanza outfit, if it wins government, addresses the land question at the Coast, the region’s economy, as well as ensuring that the region was included in mainstream public service.

The party, which bolted from the Raila Odinga-led Azimio movement, also wants the Dr Ruto-led alliance to reverse all operational changes that have been carried out in the recent past whose effect has been to relocate some of the core activities of Kenya's main sea port from Mombasa to inland depots in Nairobi and Naivasha.

PAA also wants a revival of the cashew nuts, coconut and Bixa industries especially in the coastal region, as well as ensuring that the Port of Lamu brings measurable employment and other economic benefits to the local communities.

These issues, among others, Dr Ruto said in the presser, were some of those keeping him awake, and not that of who will deputise him.

“The issues that exercise our minds are those of how we change the lives of the people, like those issues presented by PAA. We want to see how to get that done, and how to roll out our economic model,”  he said.