Uhuru Kenyatta, the current Kenyan President, has endorsed Raila Odinga as his successor.
Odinga is a long-time rival of Kenyatta, having run against him twice for the Presidency – in 2012 and 2017 – and falling short each time. He also stood in 2007 against Mwai Kibaki but also lost that election.
Kenyatta – who is ineligible to run after having served two terms – told a crowd in Nairobi that he was backing Odinga ahead of the country’s election, scheduled to be held in August this year.
Kenyatta and Odinga are both Kenyan political royalty, with Kenyatta’s father, Jomo Kenyatta, being the first President of independent Kenya, while Odinga’s father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, was the country’s first vice president.
Kenyatta’s backing of Odinga is a major snub to his vice-president, William Ruto, who has already announced his candidacy for President, running on the ticket of a new political party, the United Democratic Alliance.
It is likely that the race for the presidency will be mainly fought between Odinga and Ruto.