KANU Chairman Gideon Moi today formally kicks off his State House bid by seeking the endorsement of the party’s delegates.
The party’s National Delegates Conference convenes this morning at Bomas of Kenya amid push by its members to have the Baringo Senator go for presidency.
Kanu Secretary-General Nick Salat had termed the conference historic, saying it would largely shape the party’s interest in the presidency.
Should he be endorsed for the top seat – Gideon, who was installed to take over from his late father President Daniel arap Moi – will be making his first stab at the presidency.
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He symbolically took over a replica of a rungu that defined former President Moi’s 24-year presidency.
Mr Salat indicated that the party had trained its guns on the top seat, suggesting its resolution to front Senator Moi for the State House race.
“We have been reaching out to various interest groups and we are ready to rise to the occasion by offering leadership to this country,” said Salat, adding: ““If party members feel we have someone to go for the big seat; it is the members who will endorse. I want to assure members we will not let them down because I know this will be a different Kanu moving forward.”
He said the conference was part of their preparations for the 2022 General Election.
Gideon's decision to go for the top seat will end the independence party’s more than 15 years of political hiatus in the presidential race.
The party last participated in the presidential race in 2002 when former President Moi settled on Uhuru Kenyatta to succeed him. Uhuru lost to former president Mwai Kibaki.
In the subsequent polls of 2007, 2013 and 2017, Kanu supported Kibaki under Party of National Unity and Uhuru under Jubilee Party.
“For the last 15 - going to 20 - years we have not presented a presidential candidate. We will not make that mistake again... we will be going out to engage other players. As Kanu, we are taking the direction that we will go out there to challenge other parties for the top seat,” said Salat.
Last Sunday, Gideon hosted delegations in his rural home in Sacho, where he declared today’s meeting a game-changer for the party that ruled the country for nearly 40 years after independence.
“I have come here today as your son. You sent me to Parliament for 10 years. I have returned to get your views. This is not my own journey, but for all of us. If I succeed, we all succeed,” he said.
