Omtatah on 2027 presidential bid: Kenya urgently needs redemption
Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah.
What you need to know:
- Omtatah said he would rely on partnerships to fund his presidential bid.
- He said he knows the journey ahead is tough, but he is up to the task and has a realistic chance of winning.
Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah on Wednesday formally launched his presidential ambition by setting up an exploratory and research committee to guide him.
Mr Omtatah, who was born in 1964 in Kwangamor village in Busia County, wants to become Kenya's sixth president in 2027 and make President William Ruto a one-term president.
Omtatah, a philosopher, won the Busia senatorial seat in the 2022 general election after garnering 171,681 votes on the National Reconstruction Alliance (NRA) ticket, defeating Hillary Itela of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party who got 59,276 votes.
The 10-member committee, chaired by Ms Mary Kathomi, will engage with stakeholders to gather information for or against Mr Omtatah's chances.
Mr Omtatah -- who has said his childhood passion was to become a Catholic priest before health challenges cut short the journey -- is seeking to join the growing battle against incumbent Dr Ruto, who is expected to seek a second term.
On Thursday, Omtatah told Nation.Africa that the mission he has embarked on is to conduct his strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and timeliness of viability for his bid.
"This is a world of data...it is only when you have actionable information backed by data that one can make an informed decision. That is the preliminary stage of my presidential ambitions," he said.
The committee is made up of political strategists, activists and legal experts, and Omtatah's terms of reference include conducting a nationwide opinion poll to derive working figures for his bid.
He told Nation.Africa that the time was ripe to take a decisive step to confront those who have taken it upon themselves to misgovern.
"This country urgently needs redemption from poor rule. We want a government that listens and respects where sovereignty power is vested. I am one of those true believers of insisting on sound governance practices where citizens are part and parcel of decision-making," he said.
Mr Omtatah added that "governments that do not factor in rule of law and public participation in the way they govern are mostly inspired by dictatorship, manipulation and corruption."
He said his presidential bid committee is part of the intense public participation he has adopted to connect with the people in laying the foundation for his candidacy.
Omtatah expects the team to give him feedback on whether he is a viable candidate, how he can interact with other formations, and the key areas that he can capitalise on.
"My focus is strongly anchored in the belief that I have something to offer in helping our country achieve the elusive dream of people-centric governance," he said.
He said he was aware that he needed to work with other stakeholders to make his bid stronger.
"That is the reason why I have engaged a team of experts to do the legwork for me. The team will factor in those ingredients that come with the reality of Kenyan politics and presidential contests," he said.
The Busia Senator said the focus is to gain intelligence on how he can garner 50 plus one votes and 25 percent in at least 24 counties, the issue of political party or independent contest, who to partner with (running mate). He also has to consider who to support for the other five seats up for grabs in the general election -- governor, senator, women's representative, MP and MCA.
To gain power, a presidential hopeful must pursue a strategy that gives him or her majorities in the National Assembly, Senate and County Assemblies.
To achieve this, a presidential bid requires a lot of money, which Mr Omtatah cannot raise on his own.
Mr Omtatah said, "This defines why research is a key component for such a huge bid... the reason why I will now sit back and wait for a report that eventually will inform whether I should go ahead and declare my bid or what to progress with".
He said he knows the journey ahead is tough, but he is up to the task and has a realistic chance of winning.
Omtatah said he would rely on partnerships to fund his presidential bid.
“People keep talking about money, but Kenyans have already shown their goodwill. We will get the support we need as we continue," he said.
The committee's patron, Mr Julius Okara, said, "We're confident Omtatah is overqualified (for the president position)...his well-manifested track record of being the people's defender, a relentless watchdog for the public and his sober approach to debates of national importance makes him exactly the people's servant the country desperately needs."
"Our opinion about him needs to be confirmed or disowned by Kenyans, the reason why we are now moving out there and making them part and parcel of our decision-making regarding Omtatah candidature," he said.
A youth representative on the committee, Hanifa Farsafi, will serve as a public relations strategist and could be instrumental in tapping the support of the Gen Z voting bloc.
"What Omtatah stands for is exactly what we as the youths stand for. His well-manifest values, political culture and demeanour resonate with us, and we believe the views we will get will affirm it," he said.
The vocal activist is known for his many court cases against the government, challenging what he sees as questionable government decisions.
He also appeared in the 2022 presidential election petition at the Supreme Court as an interested party challenging Dr Ruto's victory.
For his activism, he has appeared in high-profile dramas where he has been threatened, assaulted and once chained himself to the fence of police headquarters Vigilance House to protest what he claimed was police brutality against Kenyans.
After being admitted to the University of Nairobi (UoN) to pursue a Bachelor of Commerce degree, Omtatah deferred his studies and joined St Augustine philosophicum in Bungoma County to study philosophy.
"I fell sick after finishing my philosophy classes, I became heavily epileptic. I was told you cannot be a priest if you are epileptic, what happens if you get a fit during a service," he stated during a 2022 appearance as guest on Citizen TV's JK live show.
Mr Omtatah further revealed that he sought medication that eventually healed him.
"My father paid Sh1,500 and I began treatment in 1987... I was cured after 12 days," he said.
