By George Obulutsa & Duncan Miriri

NAIROBI (Reuters – Kenya’s presidential hopefuls have named their running mates. Raila Oginga, a veteran competitor in the race for president, has chosen to support women’s rights. William Ruto chose a political campaigner.

Two of the selected running mates were Kikuyus (Kenya’s largest ethnic group), while Odinga and Ruto are from other parts of Kenya. They seek to get Kikuyu vote.

Odinga, now 77 years old, announced that he had chosen Martha Karua to be his nominee. Karua was a former justice secretary who has earned the nickname “Iron Lady”, for taking on all of her opponents in an increasingly male-dominated political arena. After serving two decades in Parliament, she decided to run for the presidency in 2013.

Karua declared, “I want you to know that this moment is for women in Kenya.”

From 2003 to 2009, Lawyer Karua was the minister for water and then as minister of justice. Her resignation was due to differences of opinions with President Mwai-Kibaki’s government, which included the nomination of judges.

Odinga was proud of Karua’s reformist qualities while she revealed her name before thousands of cheering supporters.

“After sixty years (of Kenyan Independence )…) we cannot justify the male dominance of the executive,” said he.

Karua is a Kenyan politician known for his toughness and probity. He has dismissed Kenyan politics in the past as being a club of “rich boys”.

Odinga’s decision to split his coalition instantly was a result of former vice president Kalonzo Muyoka who had been Odinga’s running mate during the previous two elections, declaring that he will run for the presidency and not support Odinga.

BUSINESSMAN WHO IS HEALTHY

Ruto, Kenya’s current deputy president, chose Rigathi Gachagua to be his running mate. Gachagua was a first-term parliamentarian, representing a population at the foot Mount Kenya. He is also a successful businessman.

Since independence from Britain, 1963, three of Kenya’s four presidential candidates were members of the Kikuyu ethnicity.

Gachagua is a skilled grassroots mobilizer and was previously employed in the government administration. He also served as an adviser to Kenyatta prior to becoming president.

Odinga, an ex-opposition leader, ran four previous races in anti-establishment candidates. He won the backing of incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta (a Kikuyu) after Ruto and Kenyatta fell out. Kenyatta has decided to resign due to term limits. Ruto, East Africa’s largest economy, is not fit to become president of Kenya.

Ruto has vowed to change the economic focus of government from big public works projects to large state-owned companies to smaller enterprises controlled by “hustlers” to win over Kikuyu and others.

According to political analysts, Ruto chose Gachagua for his ability to mobilize large numbers of people in support of Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance party over the last two years.

Gachagua, who was unveiled on Sunday as his running mate, said that “Your story has inspired hustlers all across Kenya”