Kenya Veteran Odinga Picks 'iron Lady' Ex-minister As Running Mate

Veteran Kenyan politician Raila Odinga announced Monday that he has chosen the country's 'iron lady' Martha Karua to serve as his running mate in the presidential election due in August

Nairobi, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th May, 2022 ) :Veteran Kenyan politician Raila Odinga announced Monday that he has chosen the country's 'iron lady' Martha Karua to serve as his running mate in the presidential election due in August.

If the pair win the high-stakes polls, Karua -- a lawyer and former justice minister -- would become Kenya's first female deputy president.

"Following tense consultations, we have decided that the holder of this office has to be a woman," Odinga said.

Karua, a former presidential candidate herself, earned the moniker 'iron lady' as she rose through the male-dominated ranks of Kenyan politics.

"History is calling us to close the gender gap in our country... cometh the hour, cometh the lady," said Odinga, describing Karua as a reformist, fighter and a safe pair of hands.

Karua said she was "deeply honoured" to accept the nomination, describing it as "a moment for the women of Kenya".

"Together, we can finally bring to life the dreams deferred," she told thousands of cheering supporters in the capital Nairobi.

The announcement came a day after Odinga's rival, Deputy President William Ruto, picked a former aide turned fierce critic of President Uhuru Kenyatta to be his running mate.