The ongoing search for presidential and governor running mates was a serious thorn in the flesh even to Presidential candidates William Ruto and Raila Odinga.
This is because of the need for regional balance and individual interests with Mt. Kenya becoming the center of attraction for the presidential running mates.
Governor candidates have also been hit by similar complications as the IEBC deadline draws near. UDA Governor candidate for Makueni County, Prof. Emmanuel Mutisya has found himself in a hard place in his selection of an ideal and willing running mate.
Reports from reliable sources say that, after a thorough search across the county, it was quite a challenge to come up with a list of those who fit the docket and leaders who align with the bottom-up framework.
Fifteen candidates were shortlisted, most from different parties. Given that the preference has been for female candidates, the evaluation team shortlisted three candidates: Caroline Mwandiku, a business lady from Kibwezi West Constituency, Ms. Zipporah Katunga, an educationist from Makueni Constituency, and Ms. Pauline Musyoka, a community development expert from Kibwezi West Constituency.
With the looming deadline, Prof. Mutisya is set to select one of the three and submit the requisite papers for approval by the party and IEBC. As the clock ticks towards the deadline, the question many are asking is, who is the running mate?
