Woman Representative Sabina Chege steals the show during Raila Odinga Muranga tour

Presidential campaigns are kicking into high gear as Kenya draws closer to its General Election, slated for August 9, 2022.

With polls indicating that the presidential election may be a two-horse race; Deputy President William Ruto's Bottom-Up campaign, and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's Azimio La Umoja campaign have drawn the attention of the country's voting population.

Political pundits have pitted DP Ruto's perceived good graces with the nation's most influential voting bloc - Mt Kenya - as an advantage against Odinga's long-standing adversarial reputation among members of the bloc.

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader has also made numerous public efforts to offer a counternarrative, promoting himself and his father - Kenya's first Vice President Oginga Odinga - before him as 'friends of the mountain'.

Mr Odinga's Azimio La Umoja campaign made its maiden visit to one of the Mt Kenya counties, Murang'a, on Saturday where they were hosted by the county's Woman Representative and Jubilee party politician - Sabina Chege.

Chege stole the show at Ihura Stadium, where the main rally was held, and would later post: "Ihura Stadium Declaration: Karibu sana (a huge welcome to) #BabaThe5TH."

Despite major defections from President Uhuru Kenyatta's Jubilee party, the Murang'a Woman Rep has remained 'loyal to the handshake' (a common reference to the March 2018 Uhuru-Raila handshake deal).

Adding some flair to Raila's #AzimioMtaaniMuranga stopover, Chege gifted Mr Odinga a pair of hiking boots with the charge: "Hizi viatu Baba, nataka uzichukue. Ni waterproof, utaweza kukwea mlima sawasawa.

"(Baba, I'd like you to have these shoes. They are waterproof and believe me, you will have an easy time climbing the mountain)," she charged.

Sabina Chege becomes a trending topic

Following the Murang'a tour, political commentators seemed to agree that Chege had proved a strategic host for the Azimio La Umoja campaign.

One commentator, Nairobi lawyer Donald B. Kipkorir, was particularly impressed and went on to propose Chege for the Capital's gubernatorial seat.

"Those intending to contest Nairobi Gubernatorial Seat on Azimio ticket are my friends and known them for so long. But thinking aloud, what if we let Sabina Chege take it and Tim Wanyonyi be Deputy with Executive Powers? Sabina Chege has demonstrated outmost loyalty to Uhuru and Baba," the opinion-leader suggested.

Lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi, another leading commentator on the 2022 presidential race, weighed in on DBK's proposal with a hint of sceptism posing: "Don, I know this is not you idea. Who gave you this trial balloon to test the views of the electorate?"

He'd later add: "...And why leave out of the equation the most competent and qualified candidate... Richard Ngatia!"

The conversation over Sabina Chege would later be taken over by pro-DP Ruto and pro-Raila supporters online turning the Woman Rep into one of the trending topics of the weekend.