Raila is the Next President, Uhuru Declares as Kalonzo Joins Azimio La Umoja Coalition

President Kenyatta has named ODM leader Raila Odinga as his preferred successor.

This comes after Odinga was endorsed as the Azimio la Umoja presidential flagbearer in the August 9th elections, with Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka dropping his bid in favor of the ODM leader.

Odinga was endorsed at the Azimio la Umoja Movement National Delegates Convention held at Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi on Saturday.

Speaking during the function, President Uhuru, who is also the party leader of Jubilee, exuded confidence that Azimio will form the next government and lauded Kalonzo and other leaders who shelved their presidential ambitions to back Odinga.

“The next president of Kenya will be Raila Amollo Odinga. He has the ability and the willingness and God will enable him to see Kenya move forward while united, to fight corruption and to continue being a respected country across the world. I'm sure that once he takes over, he will not leave his brothers and sisters behind," said Uhuru.

"I want to insist that among all these leaders, none of them doesn't have the capacity to become President, they all do and most of them have abandoned their ambitions for the greater good and unity of the country and more so Kalonzo Musyoka who has withdrawn his ambitions. We thank him and we congratulate him," he added.

During the convention, 21 political parties signed a coalition agreement binding them under Azimio La Umoja coalition. They include ODM, Jubilee, Wiper, NARK, Kanu, Maendeleo Chap Chap, PNU, UPYA, DAP-K, PAA, Muungano, UDM, among others.