Businessman and Safina Party Presidential aspirant Jimi Wanjigi has chosen city advocate Willis Otieno as his presidential running mate in the run-up to the August 9 elections. 

Otieno is the former head of Raila Odinga's presidential campaign under the National Super Alliance (Nasa) in 2017.

Wanjigi's decision to name Otieno as his running mate was motivated by the need for youth representation in top leadership, especially after working with him during the 2017 general elections when they both backed the former Prime minister in his bid for the presidency.

“It is the time for young people to stand up and be counted. It’s your time to lead.

“I unveil my wonderful running mate, a great son of this soil, a great young man, a diligent professional, and a great friend, my young brother Willis Otieno,” Wanjigi stated at the Ufungamano House in Nairobi on Tuesday, May 17.

Among the plans the dynamic duo has in store is the revival of  the economy, inscribed on their banner Jimi na Willis: "Their solution is distribution our solution is production, our country should be able to produce more for its people”

Otieno while accepting his endorsement, was grateful for the opportunity, as he resonated with Wanjigi's vision for the country, which the businessman believes is yet to be achieved by any other head of state.

“I fearlessly and courageously accept the nomination to be the running mate of Jimi Wanjigi,” the 39-year-old lawyer hails from Masumbi village, Ng’iya in Alego Usonga constituency stated. 

“I trace my journey as a journey of faith. That shows everything is possible and there is an opportunity for young people in this country.

“I could have chosen the easy way out and say let me stay in my profession, let me continue enjoying the little that I have made as a lawyer, but what about my neighbour who has gone to sleep hungry, that young man who is dying because he is not able to pay for his health care?” he remarked.

Otieno has had an illustrious career in law, holding a bachelor’s degree in law from Moi University, a Masters's in law from the University of Nairobi, and a post-graduate diploma in law from the Kenya school of law. He is also an alumnus  of Ecole Nacionale D’administratio – Paris.

The advocate began his career as an adjunct lecturer at the Kenya School of Law, and later became a junior fellow from the state university of New York attached to the parliamentary office of the prime minister.

He would later serve as a program officer at the International Commission of Jurists(ICJ) before taking up a similar position at Transparency International(TI) and later rose to a senior program officer position at the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa.

He is currently actively involved as a managing partner at Otieno Ogola Advocates.

Otieno was appointed as head of the Raila Odinga Presidential Campaign Secretariat in 2017,  to propel the agenda-setting forums that would see Odinga participate in the election and ensure that he won before he was fired over incompetence.

He recounted his tribulations as the head of the presidential campaign after he was ousted over what Odinga claimed was a lack of skills needed to manage the complex campaigns, which the lawyer vehemently denied stating that he was intent on creating forums that would emancipate Kenyans from harsh economic times through empowerment programs, that would famously be known as 'Canaan.'

“What was Canaan? It was economic empowerment of our people and not a false promise. It was about how to have a conversation that includes the majority of our people but this never came to pass. We must fulfill this dream,” Otieno said during his unveiling ceremony.

Otieno as Wanjigi's deputy is now focused on ensuring that the team clinches the presidency this time around, in a bid to fulfill the delayed dream that he envisioned in 2017.