Kenyan Governor drops presidential bid, backs Odinga’s candidature

By Samuel Ouma [caption id="attachment_92590" align="alignnone" width="1200"] It is Raila Odinga's time , says Governor Kivutha Kibwana[/caption] Kenyan Governor Kivutha Kibwana, on Monday, January 17, 2022, shelved his presidential ambitions and threw his weight behind the opposition leader Raila Odinga. Mr. Kibwana told the journalists that he arrived at the decision following a comprehensive consultation with his supporter. The county boss spoke in Naivasha, northwest of Nairobi, where 30 Governors declared their support for the AU envoy. "As a majority of the governors in the country, we have agreed in unison to support the 5th, who is Raila Odinga, in the 2022 statehouse race. I consulted my people in Makueni on Thursday, where we had a meeting with the entire leadership, and they told me to support Azimio la Umoja,” said Kibwana. According to the Makueni County Governor, he still has an opportunity in the future to vie for the presidency, noting it is Mr. Odinga's time. “They told me I still have age on my side, and in at some future point, I will resume my presidential candidature. I will support Azimio la Umoja through the Muungano party. I am happy that the next president will take the country forward," he stated. After meeting the ODM party leader in Naivasha, the Governors stated that they decided to back Odinga due to his outstanding role in championing for devolution. "This has been a consultative meeting between the governors and the fifth as we assured him of our support and discussed the way forward with regards to the Presidential elections. There were 30 of us present and a couple of us who were absent with apology," Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Mureithi. Governors Charity Ngilu and Amason Kingi vowed to go their way out to ensure Odinga becomes the fifth President of Kenya.