(Bloomberg) -- Kenya may be poised to have its first female deputy president after one of the leading contenders in this year’s general election picked a woman for a running mate.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga, who’s making his fifth stab at the presidency, selected Martha Karua as deputy for the Aug. 9 ballot, he announced in a televised address. 

“After 60 years of independence, we can’t excuse the male dominance of the executive,” Odinga said. “History is calling us to close the gender gap in our country.”

Karua, 64, previously served as a lawmaker for two decades, has been a cabinet minister and also worked as a magistrate.

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