It is now official that President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition kingpin Raila Odinga are candidates in the August 2017 presidential poll.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has Monday cleared the duo, sons to Kenya’s founding fathers: Kenya’s first president Jomo Kenyatta and pioneer vice president Jaramogi Odinga.

Kenyatta will stand as Jubilee Party flagbearer while Odinga is a candidate for loose political coalition National Super Alliance (Nasa).

Uhuru will be seeking a second term alongside his running mate, deputy president William Ruto, while former premier Odinga’s running mate is ex-vice president Kalonzo Musyoka.

IEBC also cleared Cyrus Jirongo of the United Democratic Party; Ekuru Aukot of the Third Way Alliance; Mohamed Dida of Alliance for Real Change; and independent candidates Michael Wainaina and Joe Nyagah.

REJECTED

Meanwhile independent candidates Peter Solomon Gichira and Erastus Nyamera, and Justice and Equality Party flag bearer Justus Juma have been rejected.

Gichira’s rejection made him reportedly attempt to jump off the 6th floor of Anniversary Towers, the IEBC headquarters, on Saturday.

He would later be charged in a Nairobi court on Monday with attempted suicide, malicious damage and creating disturbance.

After denying the three charges, Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi would later release Gichira on a KShs 200,000 cash bail.