Two major political groups in Kenya will be scrambling for 19.7 million votes in the August 8 general election as talks on amending the country’s seven-year-old Constitution take shape.

At least four opposition parties have inked a coalition deal to face the ruling Jubilee Party as a united front, setting the stage for a two-horse race.

The four parties — Orange Democratic Movement, Wiper Democratic Party, Amani National Congress (ANC) and Ford Kenya — will now work jointly under the National Super Alliance (Nasa).

The coalition’s instruments have been lodged with the Registrar of Political Parties as required by law but the presidential flagbearer will remain a guarded secret until the end of March.

The coalition’s top organ, the National Co-ordinating Committee, is expected to go on a three-day retreat this week to fine-tune nomination rules for presidential candidates and other elective positions in counties that have witnessed fierce competition between Nasa politicians.

Meanwhile, the ruling Jubilee Party got a boost after the Independence party Kanu resolved to support the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Kanu under the leadership of Baringo Senator Gideon Moi has been giving President Kenyatta a headache due to its growing influence in the Rift Valley region, which is expected to shore up his chances due to its numbers.

The region recorded the highest number of new voters in the just concluded mass voter registration at 882,626 and rivalry between former president Daniel Arap Moi and Deputy President William Ruto — the region’s political kingpin — threatened the ruling coalition’s fortunes.

However, the coalition affiliates will face each other at the ballot save for the presidential race due to the high stakes and the numbers of aspirants seeking elective positions of Governors, Senators and members of both the national and country assemblies.

Head of the Jubilee secretariat Raphael Tuju, said the party will field candidates at every level beginning with the president, Governors, MPs, Senators and county representatives.

Jubilee warned that those defecting, despite declaring their support for President Kenyatta for the presidential race, will be treated as the opposition.

A High Court ruling on Thursday has allowed party-hopping at least 45 days to Election Day. The Council of Governors had moved to court to challenge sections of the Elections Act that had restricted politicians to choosing their parties at least 90 days to elections. It is against this backdrop that IEBC requires political parties to submit their membership registers in March to pave the way for primaries in April.

According to ANC spokesman Kibisu Kabatesi, Nasa will conduct joint nominations in some counties especially Nairobi and Mombasa, to field a single candidate for the gubernatorial position.

“Joint nominations is one option. We will look at what will deliver results in the different counties,” said Mr Kabatesi.