I’m not quitting the presidential race, Speaker Muturi says

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has said he is not bowing out of the race to succeed President Kenyatta in the upcoming August 9 polls.

Mr Muturi, who is also the party leader of the Democratic Party of Kenya, said his party will be holding a National Delegates Convention on February 20 and he is expected to be ratified as its presidential candidate.

“As you know, I do not belong to the category of quitters. As a party, we are having consultations within ourselves to make a decision on how we will prepare for the polls,” he said while receiving a group of aspirants from Nyamira, Kiambu and Tharaka Nithi counties.

The aspirants were from different parties, including Jubilee, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), Wiper, and the National Vision Party.

Mr Muturi also indicated his party intends to launch an aspirants’ congress.

“Given that the political terrain varies across the different parts of the country, we will launch an aspirants’ congress to look at the issues in the regions and how we will formulate policies to address them,” Mr Muturi said.

He added that his party was open to conversations with others ahead of the elections.

Although the Democratic Party has not yet announced its preferred political coalition, One Kenya Alliance (OKA) leader Kalonzo Musyoka has said they are wooing Mr Muturi to join them.

The party, founded by former President Mwai Kibaki, endorsed Speaker Muturi’s presidential bid last year in Nyeri town.

The ceremony was attended by 40 delegates from the 11 Mt Kenya counties. 

Mr Muturi was also crowned as the Mt Kenya spokesman by the elders of the Ameru, Embu and Kikuyu communities last year.