CORD will hire foreign experts to conduct a survey among the three co-principals and pick the most popular as its 2017 presidential race flag-bearer.
The Star has learnt that Raila Odinga's ODM on Monday approved the proposal during a strategy meeting of the National Executive Committee, a top decision-making organ of the party.
Monday's meeting, chaired by Raila himself at Hotel Lamada along the Thika Superhighway, gave the nod for Cord to initiate the process of scouting for a reputable international firm to carry out a popularity ratings survey.
The strategy will be steered by the Cord management committee co-chaired by Senators Johnston Muthama and James Orengo.
The mode of picking Cord's 2017 candidate is considered a sticking point, even inside the opposition, and analysts say it holds the key to the coalition's future. Cord's three principals, each the leader of a party, are keen on a method that averts disintegration.
The results of the countrywide survey will inform the coalition on who among Raila, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang'ula of Ford Kenya is the most preferred presidential candidate, in a plan to avert a falling out associated with acrimonious delegate and boardroom negotiations.
Raila, Kalonzo and Wetang'ula have all been endorsed by their respective parties to seek the Cord presidential ticket. The complication has been to find a formula of picking the best to fly the Cord flag.
The popularity and preference survey will also establish the best-rated joint presidential ticket combination most likely to defeat President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto's ticket.
"We believe it would be the most professional and peaceful mode of picking our presidential candidate," said a senior ODM official on condition of anonymity, because of the sensitivity of the strategising.
"We have asked Cord to embark on picking an internationally recognised survey firm with qualified experts to carry out the popularity poll, which should be concluded by August," said the source, who attended the meeting. The idea of involving an expert to pick Cord's presidential flagbearer is said to have first been floated by Ford Kenya, a coalition partner in the opposition formation.
Hinting at the use of experts, Wetang'ula said technocrats will help Cord identify a workable formula that will pick a formidable candidate to vie against President Kenyatta.
"This time around, we are well prepared and a team is already working on that issue so we can move forward," Wetang'ula said earlier this month.
Yesterday, Ford Kenya Secretary General Eseli Simiyu told the Star the modality of identifying the Cord candidate is ongoing. "Something is being worked on," he said on the phone.
ODM, Wiper and Ford Kenya have intensified their preparations for the 2017 election, with all of them currently reorganising their grassroots.
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