Jubilee, Wiper deal splits Kalonzo Kamba allies
The move by Wiper Democratic Movement Party (WDM-P) to sign a cooperation agreement with the ruling Jubilee party has widened the rift between former vice president Kalonzo Musyoka and his estranged lieutenants from Ukambani region.
Kalonzo’s ex party chairman and Makueni County Governor Prof Kivutha Kibwana and former Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama have seemingly teamed up in a perceived desperate attempt to forge a divergent political front in the region.
The two have met twice since the Wiper-Jubilee deal was inked, with the duo’s first meeting in Muthama’s Nairobi office while the second meeting was held at an undisclosed location on Saturday.
On Saturday, Kibwana took to his social media in a Kamba dialect signaling that he and Muthama would convene a meeting for the Kamba community soon once the coronavirus pandemic is over and forge a political future of the lower eastern region.
He added that the meeting would take stock of the region’s status of development from the year 1985.
Kibwana has always criticised Kalonzo for doing too little for the community in his over two decades of leadership.
The two have all along traded insults. Political pundits wonder what brings them together at a moment when it is said they are leading a pro-DP William Ruto camp to Ukambani.
Early this year Muthama hinted that he was brokering a deal with the embattled Ruto together with Ukambani MP’s Victor Munyaka (Machakos), Vincent Musyoka (Mwala) and Nimrod Mbai of Kitui East for a political destiny of the region.
Recently Muthama took on Kalonzo, accusing him of nepotism in the nomination of his son Kennedy Musyoka to East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA).
Muthama said the former vice president should have handed the opportunity to any other qualified son from the many poor families that have supported and voted for him for decades.
“This means if Kalonzo ascends to presidency, he will pick his son to succeed him” said Muthama.
It is said Muthama, who has been Wiper party financier before falling out with Kalonzo, failed in his attempt to take the Wiper leader in the Ruto direction.
And Kibwana, who ditched Wiper party citing lack of democracy, describes Kalonzo as an opportunist waiting the presidency to be delivered at his doorstep.
Previously, Kibwana raised concerns that Kalonzo was using his party’s strength in the assembly to make Makueni County ‘ungovernable’ .
The Muthama-Kibwana school of thought is likely to gain support of embattled Kitui County Governor Charity Ngilu.
She blames Kalonzo for being behind an impeachment bid against her through the County Assembly.
The motion is expected to be tabled and voted in the floor of the House this week.
The Ukambani ‘Iron Lady’ said: “Let us think of this party called Wiper, is it a party finishing people other than helping Mwananchi?”
Ngilu said that it was time the community ditched Kalonzo over what she termed his “barren development record.”
“We want leaders who understand development. We shall not allow some people who do not understand development to be sitting on national table to negotiate for the community,” said Ngilu in an apparent reference to Kalonzo.
But Kamba Clans Governing Council, through their chairman Boniface Kilonzo, issued a strongly-worded warning to Ukambani leaders to desist from political insults saying it was painting a bad picture for the community nationally.
“As leaders we are happy that our son Kalonzo Musyoka made a conscious decision to forge a post-election pact with Jubilee party. This for sure a sign of good will for our community and good things ahead” said James.
political spheres
The elders said Musyoka’s move to work with President Kenyatta was the best option as it placed him in a strategic position in readiness for the country’s leadership.
On Friday, two days after the signing of Wiper-Jubilee cooperation agreement, Kalonzo foot soldiers, led by Senators Enock Wambua (Kitui), Boniface Kabala (Machakos) and Makueni’s Mutua Kilonzo Jnr, endorsed Kalonzo as the only leader allowed to bargain for the Kamba community at the national level.
“We call to order those behind insults and encourage our people to refuse to be used to insult leaders by a small clique of power brokers whose main aim is to auction the Kamba Community to the highest bidder,” read a joint statement read to journalists by Wambua in an apparent reference to Johnstone Muthama.
On Sunday, Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua, the Mandeleo Chap Chap party leader (MCC-P), said the country needed a change of political spheres devoid of tribal compartments.
“ I am calling for a radical political shift that examines the potential of leaders based on their work and ability to change lives and not on basis of which tribe they happen to be born from.
“After all, nobody decides which community they would like to be born from,” he said.
Mutua, who recently mended fences with Kalonzo Musyoka after years of political differences, said only political ideologies will heal the nation but not tribal affiliated outfits.
“Power lies on our hands wananchi, we need to select leaders based on their vision and abilities not on tribal lines.
Mutua, Kalonzo and Kibwana have announced bid for the presidency come 2022.
