Hassan Joho, former Mombasa Governor, has come out to defend his stance that he is the best candidate to lead the ODM party if opposition leader Raila Odinga is elected chairman of the AU Commission.
"We have inherited courage, democracy, Kenyan values, the rights of Kenyans and fighting for Kenyans with no fear from Raila. The greater conversation on what we have over the period has been able to learn and inherit from Raila," Joho said.
Joho added that he has been following the footsteps of Raila since the beginning of his political career in 2004.
"I have sacrificed my life over the years, not for six months, on behalf of Raila Odinga. You are doing so because of possible succession conversations, let us respect each other,"
"I'm in ODM, my party is ODM. I believe that ODM should be the party that forms the next government. If I run for president, I will run in ODM."
Raila has endorsed Joho and former Governor Wycliffe Oparanya as his successors if he wins the top job at AU.
Some politicians in his Luo Nyanza constituency, however, want his succession race to be open to all interested candidates, not just Joho and Oparanya.
They argued that the region must have a fair share of leadership as the party's political foundation.