Kenya’s opposition names Raila Odinga as presidential candidate

Veteran political leader and former prime minister Raila Odinga was Thursday named Kenya's opposition presidential candidate for elections in August, at a large rally in the capital Nairobi.
The public announcement was made by senior leaders of the National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition of which Odinga will be flag-bearer, challenging President Uhuru Kenyatta in a repeat of the 2013 election line-up.
Kenya's five main opposition leaders hope their unprecedented alliance will be enough to defeat the ruling Jubilee Party on August 8.
Tens of thousands of supporters waited for most of the day in Nairobi's downtown Uhuru Park to witness the declaration of Odinga as their candidate.
In a repeat of the 2013 ticket, Kalonzo Musyoka was named his running-mate and prospective deputy president.
Other positions were divided among senior opposition leaders, Musalia Mudavadi, Moses Wetangula and Issac Ruto.
Addressing the crowd, Mudavadi said he and the others had "sacrificed personal ambitions" to present a united front, an effort that has always failed in the past.
"All NASA partners are equal, and one plays the role of the first among equals," he said.