NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 23 – Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta has revealed that he once sought the late Michael Kijana Wamalwa as his running mate.
Speaking at the 23rd memorial anniversary of Wamalwa in Kitale, Kenyatta said the details are contained in a newly launched book chronicling the life of the former Vice President.
According to Uhuru, he had approached Wamalwa to become his deputy in 2002 but was overtaken by events after then-President Mwai Kibaki secured Wamalwa as his running mate.
DAP-K Leader Eugene Wamalwa, who is the brother of the late VP, said the book provides insights into the political relationship between Uhuru and his late brother, which went beyond politics.
He disclosed that the two families also had historical ties through marriage, noting that Wamalwa’s first wife, Maie, was a daughter of Dr Njoroge Mungai, who was a close relative of Kenya’s founding President Jomo Kenyatta.
Eugene said the connections help explain the longstanding relationship between the Kenyatta and Wamalwa families.
He thanked Uhuru for travelling from Addis Ababa to Kitale to launch the book despite arriving in the country late and reportedly being unwell.
