Migori Governor, Okoth Obado has announced his candidature for president in next year’s general elections.
According to the last term governor, he plans to use his People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ticket.
Obado becomes the latest of serving governors to declare they will go for the top seat after Mombasa’s Hassan Joho and Kakamega’s Wycliffe Oparanya.
Obado made the announcement during an interview with Ramogi FM where he said that he has been working to strengthen his party, which he plans to use in his 2022 quest to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta.
"PDP is not meant to divide the Luo community as alleged by some people. It is a party with a national outlook and I will be using it to vie for the presidency.
"I have taken a short break to strengthen my party that steered me to the governorship. It is the bus that ushered me into active politics and I’m back to end the journey that I started," said Obado.
During the interview, he refuted claims that he is out to divide the Luo nation votes in favour of Deputy President William Ruto.
"My departure from ODM is not in bad faith," he stated.
Governor Obado has not been in good books with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga despite being re-elected Migori Governor on an ODM ticket in 2017 and this has had him branded one of the DP’s point men in the Nyanza region.
He has, however, strongly refuted the claims saying that PDP is in no way linked to DP Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance.
"The party was formed recently after we had formed PDP. We have always been isolated in section and any attempt to break the barrier is met with retaliations," said Obado.
