Will Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka win the war facing him? Other than the region’s governors fighting him, a section of MCAs allied to Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua has asked him to quit politics.
The ward representatives told Kalonzo to retire to pave way for another leader to take the Kamba community’s leadership mantle.
Speaking in Machakos on Tuesday, the 21 MCAs said Kalonzo’s political career had “diminished” in such a way it could not be revived.
Kalonzo, who has held a grip on Kamba politics for nearly three decades, is currently fighting to remain the community’s de facto leader, having come under threat from a pact between governors Charity Ngilu (Kitui), Alfred Mutua (Machakos) and Kivutha Kibwana (Makueni).
The MCAs said it was time Kalonzo exited politics since his reign as the region’s political supremo had yielded no meaningful development.
“We are aware that the leadership of Wiper Party, and in particular Kalonzo Musyoka, has dominated the politics of this region since the early 1980s,” said Kangundo West MCA Titus Kaloki, who read out a joint Press statement.
“But unfortunately, there is little, if any, to be proud of compared to what other leaders like Raila Odinga and retired President Mwai Kibaki have done nationally and for their respective regions,” the MCAs said in the statement.
The leaders threw their weight behind the new alliance by Dr Mutua, Mrs Ngilu and Prof Kibwana, which they said would transform the region economically.
Yesterday, Kalonzo held a private meeting with MCAs loyal to him at his Yatta home. The media was locked out.According to sources, the meeting largely dwelt on devising political plans to counter the growing rebellion against him.
Meanwhile, Wiper Party has promised its coalition partner ODM a tough battle in the forthcoming Embakasi South by-election.
The parliamentary seat fell vacant after the Supreme Court, in December last year, nullified Wiper’s Julius Mawathe’s win in the August 2017 election, following a successful petition by Irshad Sumra of ODM.
Speaking yesterday at the Wiper headquarters after issuing a nomination certificate to Mr Mawathe, Kalonzo exuded confidence that the candidate would recapture the seat.