The continued insistence on the Deputy President position by ODM, coupled with the unyielding stance of UDA proponents, now threatens to derail pre-election coalition talks, raising the risk of a disintegration of the broad-based government.

President William Ruto finds himself in a political bind, torn between rewarding loyalty by retaining Deputy President Kithure Kindiki as his running mate, appeasing the vote-rich Mt Kenya region, or courting new allies whose demands, if granted, could cost him crucial support from the region.