Tharaka Nithi Senator Prof. Kithure Kindiki has given his two cents regarding the recent unveiling of Martha Karua as the Azimio One Kenya running mate, which he says does not have an effect on the progress that the Kenya Kwanza team has made.

The senator who was on the lineup to deputize Deputy President William Ruto in the Kenya Kwanza team stated that though he was of the opinion that Karua was a formidable choice in the formation, her new position is of no consequence to the ground the Kenya Kwanza Alliance has covered in terms of popularity.

Kindiki who has previously worked with Karua under the Ministry of Justice under the Kibaki government stated that he respected her but did not foresee her claiming support from the Mt Kenya region that the Azimio One Kenya coalition is hoping to woo in the runup to the polls.

“I have crossed paths with Martha Karua. I have worked with her briefly in the Ministry of Justice. I know her as a person and as a professional. She is my senior in the legal profession, she is decent and I have a lot of respect for her,” he said in an interview on Citizen TV on Tuesday, May 17.

“I doubt she will be able to turn the tide of UDA and Kenya Kwanza, not even in Kirinyaga. She will not withstand the tide of Kenya Kwanza. It is too strong,” he added.

Kindiki opined that Kenya Kwanza led by DP Ruto has amassed popularity in the vote-rich Mt Kenya region and even despite Karua being a Kirinyaga native, the Azimio team may still have a hard time swaying votes towards them.

He believes that this election will be more based on seeking solutions to issues affecting people on the ground and that the Kenya Kwanza team is already endeared to the ground owing to its agenda, in spite of their ethnic representation.

“For the first time the use of ethnicity as the organizing principle of our politics has been dismantled, so those who think that Karua can turn the tide anywhere because she speaks a certain language are wasting time,” he opined.

Regarding his loss of the running mate position, he expressed his contentment with the DP's decision despite the knowledge that he had trounced Rigathi Gachagua in the popularity polls and stated that he would work hand-in-hand with the team to ensure that they clinch the presidency.

Despite shelving his elective ambitions in the elections, he expressed that he was still open to trying his luck another time, but maintained that he would not be available for any appointive position in the event that the DP became president come August 9.