FEATURED STORY, POLITICS

Meet Raila’s Picks to Run His 2022 Campaign

Raila Odinga’s 2022 Presidential bid took further shape following the appointment of two faces to steer his campaign.

Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi accepted his nomination to chair the board of the Raila Odinga 2022 Campaign. Elizabeth Meyo, the immediate former Commissioner of the Domestic Taxes Department at the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), was appointed as CEO of the Campaign and Secretary to the Raila 2022 Campaign Board.

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party leader Odinga is expected to run for President under the Azimio la Umoja banner – a coalition bringing together parties including the President Uhuru Kenyatta-led Jubilee Party. He will face off with Deputy President William Ruto who is gunning for the seat on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket.

As Chairman of the Board, Muriithi will be a key decision-maker in the operations of the Raila Odinga campaign. He is an economist and financial markets expert who was elected Governor of Laikipia in 2017.

Muriithi has worked in Kenya, South Africa, Canada and Australia. He is also currently the Finance, Planning and Economic Affairs Committee Chairperson within the Council of Governors (CoG).

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Notably, the Governor is a nephew of former President Mwai Kibaki. Odinga in 2002 supported Kibaki when he clinched the Presidency, before Odinga controversially lost to Kibaki in the disputed 2007 poll sparking Post Election Violence (PEV).

In the statement announcing his appointment, Raila sought to highlight Muriithi’s achievements as Governor since his election in 2017.

“Mr Muriithi embarked on radical reforms of the county public service to make it professional and globally competititve. These efforts have been rewarded with unmatched growth of the county’s own source revenue which has doubled since the 2016/2017 financial year.”

“Mr Muriithi is also credited with modernizing key towns of Laikipia under his Smart Towns Initiative funded partially by the World Bank’s Urban Support and Devolution Support programs,” it noted further highlighting efforts to promote MSMEs.

Elizabeth Meyo, on the other hand, will serve as CEO of the campaign and secretary to the board. She will be the sole campaign spokesperson.

“Mrs. Meyo will be the overall chief executive of the campaign, implement its strategic and key decisions, head the campaign secretariat, and make all vital decisions,” Raila confirmed.

Meyo is currently a consultant to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Her stint as Commissioner of Domestic Taxes saw her credited with shaping KRA’s strategy and policy development and spearheading the rollout of the iTax system for easier filing of tax returns.

She is the holder of a Masters in Law and a Masters in Finance and chairs various school boards.