The Pentagon brings together all those who competed for that nomination: former Vice-President Musalia Mudavadi also Odinga's chosen running mate; former National Heritage Minister Najib Balala; former Regional Cooperation Assistant Minister Joseph Nyaga; and former Kenya African National Union Secretary General William Ruto...
William Ruto for example has five cases pending including accusations of land-grabbing and selling non-existent land to the Kenya Pipeline Company...
The government has indeed failed to tackle grand corruption decisively but ODM luminaries such as William Ruto and Sally Kosgey both facing grand corruption charges in court are poorly qualified to accuse the government of corruption...
The leading Kalenjin politician William Ruto was in barnstorming style urging his people to support the ODM at a rally in Eldoret in Rift Valley Province...
Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi (Luhya) and William Ruto (Kalenjin/Nandi) each have a strong ethnic following...
Presidential hopefuls due to attend were: Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka (Kamba); Uhuru Kenyatta (Kikuyu); William Ruto (Kalenjin/Nandi); Najib Balala (Coast member of parliament for Mvita in Mombasa); Julia Ojiambo (Luhya/Samia); and Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi (ex-President Daniel arap Moi's last Vice-President)...
Raila was confronted about ODM's open embrace of corruption-tainted ministers from Moi's former Kenya African National Union (KANU) government (specifically William Ruto)...
William Ruto has moved out of the shadow of his mentor ex-President Moi (who has been talking to Kibaki) by championing the Kalenjin (Nandi and Kipsigis) who have lost government jobs under Kibaki...
The ODM boasts an array of presidential contenders representing all but two of Kenya's eight provinces: Odinga (Nyanza); Musyoka (Eastern); Kenyatta (Central); William Ruto (Rift Valley); WycliffeMusalia Mudavadi (Western); and Najib Balala (Coast)...
Vol 48 No 1 |
- EAST AFRICA
The other main opposition figures are Raila Odinga (Luo 14%) Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta (Kikuyu 5%) and William Ruto (Kalenjin 3%)...
THE PRESIDENTIAL RUNNERS NAME PARTY SUPPORT BASE CHANCES Mwai Kibaki NARC-Kenya Central Province (Nyeri and environs national alliances through party network) Favourite helped by incumbency Kalonzo Musyoka ODM Ukambani Eastern Province Second favourite liked across Kenya but criticised as lightweight Raila Odinga ODM Luo Nyanza the most loyal but not biggest base Joint third favourite criticised for autocratic style Uhuru Kenyatta KANU Central Province and youth vote Joint third favourite came second in 2002 Musalia Mudavadi ODM Maragoli Western Province Strong compromise candidate William Ruto ODM Kalenjin Rift Valley Province Powerful vote-getter lacks national support Najib Balala ODM Coast Province and Muslim vote Popular but untried in senior jobs Julia Ojiambo ODM Samia Western Province and women Too junior in hierarchy Nicholas Biwott KANU Kalenjin Rift Valley Province Too unpopular to make a serious run ...
William Ruto (Rift Valley/Kalenjin) has split with mainstream KANU and intends to run in alliance with Odinga's LDP...