2017 presidential race hots up as Senator Kennedy Mong’are joins contest

With exactly 222 days to the August 8, 2017 election, the presidential contest is attracting new candidates every day.

Nyamira Senator, Kennedy Okong’o Mong’are, is the latest entrant into the race.

Mong’are launched his presidential bid at a city hotel in Nairobi on Tuesday, December 27.

He was endorsed to contest for the country’s top office by the Forum Coalition.

He, however, said that he would announce the political vehicle he would use to contest for the presidency at a later date.

Until his election to the Senate in 2013, Mong’are worked as a partner at the Mokua Nyambati Mongare & Associates Advocates. Prior to this, he worked as a part time law lecturer at Graffins College.

He holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree from Vishwavidalaya, Indore India (Faculty of Law).

His entrance into the race brings to seven contestants who have expressed their interest in the country’s top job.

Among those who have hinted at the possibility of running to unseat the incumbent, President Uhuru Kenyatta, include the Orange Democtratic Movement leader, Raila Odinga, Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka, Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetangula, Musalia Mudavadi of the Amani National Congress (ANC), Ekuru Aukot of Third Way Kenya, and former Director of Public Prosecutions, Philip Murgor.

The aspirants have already been endorsed by their respective parties.

However, Odinga, Kalonzo and Wetangula, who are the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) co-principals, insist that they will front a single candidate come next year.

Odinga has also been in talks with Mudavadi and the two are said to have reached a deal to form a National Super Alliance (NASA), a political vehicle they intend to use to unseat President Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto.

Mudavadi’s entrance into the opposition coalition has complicated the equation for Kalonzo and Wetangula who view him as an outsider who should not be made the opposition’s flag bearer.