Wiper party leader and Azimio la Umoja One Kenya principal, Kalonzo Musyoka, has announced his intention to challenge President William Ruto in the 2027 general election.
Kalonzo reiterated his commitment to remain in opposition, asserting that his conscience would not allow him to join government.
“My conscience will not allow me. For the love of this nation, we will stand firm. Even William Ruto knows that Kalonzo will be his opponent; he knows this clearly,” Kalonzo stated.
Kalonzo spoke on Friday during a visit to the African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa in Kihome, Othaya Constituency, Nyeri County, where he attended a symbolic priesthood ceremony for Prophetess Leah Overflow.
Leaders accompanying the wiper leader including Jeremiah Kioni and Eugene Wamalwa declared Kalonzo as their leader saying they have released Azimio leader Raila Odinga to contest for African Union Commission Chairmanship.
“We have released Raila to contest for the AU Commission Chair, but we will continue working with Kalonzo Musyoka in the opposition to keep the government in check,” Wamalwa said.
Kalonzo’s resolute stance comes in the wake of President Ruto’s reconstitution of Cabinet to include four members from the ODM party.
Raila has however maintained that neither the ODM Party not has entered into a coalition agreement with Ruto’s UDA party.
“Neither the ODM Party nor Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party has entered into any coalition agreement with President Ruto’s UDA party. We had anticipated the crafting of clear terms of engagement based on issues we raised in our various communiques,” Raila stated.
The four ODM nominees include MP and ODM Chairman John Mbadi (Treasury), Hassan Joho (Mining), Wycliffe Oparanya (Cooperatives), and Opiyo Wandayi (Energy).
Political leaders from Western Kenya have devised a plan to remove Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi as the Luhya spokesman and replace him with Wycliffe Oparanya, the ODM deputy party leader and former Kakamega Governor.
Critics accuse Mudavadi of abandoning the community by supporting President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Coalition.
The plan was revealed on Friday by leaders Eugene Wamalwa (DAP-K party leader), Oparanya, George Wajackoya (Roots Party), Caleb Hamisi (Saboti MP), Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, and Luanda MP Dickson Maungu. They believe that Mudavadi has failed to champion the rights of the community.
According to them, Mudavadi’s support for the Kenya Kwanza government, which has imposed burdensome taxes on citizens, indicates that he has forgotten his role as a spokesman. They consider it a betrayal for Mudavadi to rally behind some MPs from the House of Mulembe to vote for the Finance Bill without considering its negative impact on the people of the Western region.
“We are organizing a big rally where we shall declare the removal of Mudavadi as Luhya spokesman and endorse Wycliffe Oparanya as our new spokesperson. Mudavadi has failed us by supporting the Kenya Kwanza government, which has imposed punitive taxes on our people,” said Wamalwa.
The leaders expressed disappointment that the politicians from Western, whom voters trusted to represent their interests, are prioritizing personal benefits over the electorate.
“It is a big betrayal for the leaders you elected to represent your interests to pursue their own benefits. Such leaders are of no importance to you,” said Osotsi.
This is not the first time Mudavadi is facing opposition as the Luhya spokesman. He was previously replaced as Luhya Kingpin on December 31, 2016, and Oparanya was installed as the new Luhya spokesman in a ceremony organized by Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli at Bukhungu Stadium, Kakamega County. Mudavadi and Moses Wetang’ula, who was then the Bungoma senator, boycotted the event.
Raila Odinga has come to the rescue of his close confidant Suna East Member of Parliament (MP) and the coalition’s Secretary-General Junet Mohammed over allegations that he misappropriated funds meant for agents during the just-concluded August 9 election terming the accusations as malicious and baseless.
In a statement shared by Raila Odinga Campaign Secretariat spokesperson Makau Mutua, the Azimio la Umoja – One Kenya coalition desisted the allegations reiterating that the Suna East MP never handled funds meant for agents.
“We have seen shameful and disgusting attacks on some members of our campaign on the question of agents. Defamatory and obviously false allegations of the misappropriation of campaign funds are flying on social media.
‘Let me state without equivocation that Hon Mohammed was a campaign lad in the field supporting the Rt Hon Raila Odinga. He at no time-even once-handled funds meant for agents. Nor did Mr Mohamed have anything whatsoever to do with the management of agents,” the statement reads in parts.
While maintaining that the August 9 elections were bungled, the coalition further stated that the claims circulating are merely false propaganda that members of the public must detest.
“We acknowledge there is disappointment about how the IEBC conducted the election and with the decision of the Supreme Court, but malicious allegations against Hon Mohamed and any of the secretariat staff should be beneath the dignity of every person,” the statement added.
“Importantly, let me state clearly that the issue of agents was not the cause of a bungled election. We must appreciate that it is not the responsibility of candidates to protect the vote, or conduct a free and fair election. That constitutional duty lies squarely with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) working in concert with relevant institutions. No one should blame Azimio or our candidates for stolen votes or a fatally flawed election,” said Prof Mutua in a statement.
Following the former Prime Minister’s defeat by President-elect Dr William Ruto during the August General Election, bitter exchanges have dominated his camp with his lieutenants pointing fingers at each other for the loss.
Some of the key figures who have suffered attacks majorly on social media are Suna East MP Junet Mohammed, who is also the Azimio Secretary General, former Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and Azimio Secretariat chief executive officer Elizabeth Meyo.
The trio have been accused accused of bungling the election by failing to deploy enough agents across the country, in what the Raila Campaign secretariat says is lies and borders on defamation.
Wiper Democratic Movment handed Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko a direct nomination ticket to vie for the Mombasa County governorship in the August General Election.
Sonko was handed the ticket by Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka in a small ceremony held in Nairobi almost two weeks after the Musyoka-led party cleared Sonko and submitted his name to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
After his entry into the Mombasa race race, the controversial politician was expected to face off with Kisauni MP Ali Mbogo in nominations but Kalonzo managed to broker a deal that will have Mbogo deputize Sonko.
TThe move now sets stage for Sonko to battle it out against Mvita MP Abdulswamad Sharif Nassir (ODM) and former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar (UDA) who are both eyeing the top seat in the port city.
Sonko-Mbogo ticket is considerebly strong since Mbogo comes from the Mijikenda community which is the largest in the ccoastal region. He is also the sitting in MP in Kisauni which is th most populous constituency in Mombasa County.
Wiper Leader Hon. Kalonzo Musyoka [p/courtesy]The battle to succceed outgoing governor Hassan Joho has seen many aspirants scrambling for Mijikenda community vote which is distributed across the six sub-counties ahead of the August polls.
Sonko who has had a stint as the resideent of Mombasa began by endearing himself to the community by meeting its elders.
According to 2017 IEBC register, Mombasa County has a total of 580,223 registered voters with slightly over 50% of these voters coming from the Mijikenda community concentrated especially in Kisauni and Likoni sub counties and sections of Mvita.
Experts argue that the Mijikenda factor despit the poverty levels still remains crucial for anyone seeking to be the next governor and like any previous races; Kenyan-Arab aspirants will also have to scramble for Mijikenda running mates.
Even ODM’s Abdulswamad Sharrif Nassir who will fly the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) flag and considered a descendant of the Arab Swahili, a community regarded as wealthy with urban influence is most likey to choose a Mijikendda as his running matte to win the vote.
Both Sonko and Abdulswamad are in Azimio La Umoja coalition and one would have expected Kalonzo to shelve his party’s interests in a plac considered ODM stronghold but he is hellbent to play a spoiler card.
He is not campaigning for the Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga but fielding candidates in regions where vote splitting may disadvantage ODM and favor UDA candidate.
Kalonzo believes that pairing with Mijikenda gives him enough guts to take on ODM in Mombasa. Both Kalonzo and Sonko are from the Kamba community whi boasts of good numericcal figures in Mombasa.
The Kamba community is the second largest vote bloc in Mombasa county. They had initially expressed their will to throw their weight behind businessman Suleiman Shahbal who later ditched Wiper for ODM after alledging that Joho gave them a raw deal.
They claim that the incumbent who was elected on an ODM ticket has neglected them for close to a decade by ignoring their kins in county xecutive jobs.
But Kalonzo’s meddling and interferance in ODM strongholds has also been witnessed in Nairobi.
The former VP had intially reached a deal to have Wiper’s Prof. Philip Kaloki deputize Jubilee aspirant Richard Ngatia. This was despite Ngatia being tainted with looting scandals, fake degree papers and ODM having the favorite to ascend to City’s top sat in Westlands MP Tim Wanyaonyi.
Azimio has since settled to have Jubilee’s Polycarp Igathe go for the governor deputized by ODM’s Tim Wanyonyi and Wiperman Philip Kaloki has been promised the County Assembly speaker position.
Westland MP Hon. Tim Wanyonyi Wetang’ula unveiled his ambitions to become the next governor of Nairobi on November 14 2021 with his bid receiving a boost after he was endorsed by ODM supremo Raila Odinga in January 2022.
Wanyonyi launched his bid for the Nairobi top seat under the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ticket and has maintained spirited campaigns to inherit the seat from Anne Kananu in August.
“Fellow residents of Nairobi, I speak not from mere theory but from a firm knowledge and understanding of the affairs of Nairobi. Having served in Nairobi County for a total of fifteen years, I am well aware of what residents of Nairobi require and I will fix it!” Wanyonyi said.
He’s banking on his untainted image and proper use of CDF funds as legacies to propel him to the helm at City Hall. Wanyonyi is promising to transform Nairobi to realize its full potential as the region’s business hub with increased use of ICT in service delivery.
Wanyonyi who has been active in Nairobi for over 15 years serving as a Councillor and MP, has vowed to transform the Kenya’s capital into a smart city if he wins the August 9 polls.
He will face Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja who will fly UDA’s flag, Tycoon Richard Ngatia who is expected to run on a Jubilee Party ticket, Agnes Kagure and other questionable characters who have announced their quest for the seat.
Hon. Wanyonyi has called for peaceful and issue-based politics ahead of the August 9 polls as he castigated politicians engaging in confrontational politics and urged them to seek solutions to challenges facing Nairobi residents.
“Instead of engaging in dirty politics and attacking our competitors, we should be telling our constituents what we can do for them,” said Wanyonyi.
He has recieved the backing of more than 30 Nairobi MCAs including Imara Daima’s Kennedy Obuya who called on ODM party leadership to throw its weight behind the Westland’s lawmaker. Karen MCA David Mberia also added that they will rally their support behind Wanyonyi’s candidature not because of coercion but because of his track record which speaks volumes.
Controversial businessman Richard Ngatia [p/courtesy]So far the debate there is heated as to whether Azimio La Umoja coalition should settle on one candidate between Wanyonyi and Ngatia.l with latest entrant Polycarp Igathe complicating the matrix.
Wanyonyi believes he is the man because Ngatia is a controversial figure whose name has been in the mad for years. He is the man behind a controversial firm that got over Sh1 billion contracts for Covid-19 medical supplies at the centre of the Sh63 billion medical kits scandal.
Kenyan senate said the said the deal was conceived like a criminal enterprise with a damming report by the Senate showing that Ngatia’s Megascope Healthcare Ltd was part of the rip-off and should be investigated by the Ethics and Anti- Corruption Commission (EACC).
Ngatia who doubles as the president of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry also has the authenticity of his degree certificate under scrutiny.
Serious questions began surrounding the education credential’s of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s affluent after UK officials disowned his purported university degree which is obligatory for all candidates seeking the governor position.
Agnes Kagure, Nairobi gubernatorial aspirant [p/courtesy]The British Commissioner of Education the Director-General answerable for Higher and Further Education Paul Kett stated that there is no single university in the United Kingdom that has ever admitted Richard Ngatia.
“To the best of our knowledge, we would wish to state as follows; there is no University within the territory of the United Kingdom that has ever admitted Mr. Richard Ngatia, or any other student from Kenya by that name, as student in the UK.” Kett stated.
Wanyonyi who is a lawyer by profession will also face off with Agnes Kagure, a dreaded fraudster who has many land cases including Sh500 million land grab scandal in Karen.
But with rumors doing rounds that there are ongoing consultations to coerce Wanyonyi to back another candidate, the Westlands MP has affirmed his resolve to the ballot.
He has refuted claims that he will drop his bid of becoming the city’s administrator to become the running mate to Ngatia of the Jubilee party under the Azimio la Umoja ticket.
Wanyonyi who also enjoys the backing of Ida Odinga the spouse to Raila, remains ODM’s front candidate and enthusiasts are vowing to stand up with him. On matters integrity, he stands out from the rest of his competitors many of whom are battling corruption cases in different fields.
When Nairobians voted in Evans Kidero as the first governor, many weren’t aware of his dark past as a corporate fraud who sunk Mumias Sugar, later, the reality became, Kidero ended up being one of the most corrupt governors in the first dispensation of devolution. Since leaving office, the former governor who’s conspicuously scheming to occupy Homa Bay gubernatorial seat, has been spending most of his days in abs out of court battling corruption cases that he engineered in his tenure.
Nairobi is at a point of making a choice and going through the options of better leadership, there’s an obvious safe hand.
The race for Nairobi gubernatorial continues to draw mixed reactions and candidates as time goes by. The latest entrant is Polycarp Igathe who was formally the deputy governor of the metropolitan city under ousted Mike Sonko before he resigned.
Igathe according to sources close to this publication has resigned from Equity Bank to join the city politics.
It has emerged that Richard Ngatia who was to vie on Jubilee ticket, has taken a step back as his academic papers became questionable. The authenticity of his degree allegedly from a UK university has since been questioned.
Initially, Ngatia was fronted by the Mt Kenya kingpins who’re determined to have a hold in the city’s dynamics.
In a speed second thought, Igathe has been fronted to deputize Tim Wanyonyi who’s vying on ODM ticket and opinion polls have put him ahead of other candidates.
Speaking at a function in Nairobi, the ODM’s Secretary General Edwin Sifuna said Wanyonyi’s ticket is guaranteed as he’s the sole candidate.
According to power players, Wanyonyi teaming up with Igathe as his deputy is going to boost the chances of the duo taking over the city which is currently under Anne Kananu who has confessed that it was Raila who placed her in the position.
In a high placed conversation on Twitter that brought together many professionals in Nairobi, an opinion poll run by influential figure Ahmed Mohamed, placed Wanyonyi ahead of other candidates as most viewed him as having higher morality and integrity value than the rest in the race.
Latest poll run by Mizani also puts Wanyonyi ahead in the race.
Latest Mizani Opinion Poll.
Mt Kenya power players have already endorsed Raila Odinga for presidency and are determined not to lose the control of Nairobi and it is in this view according to our intimate sources that they want Igathe to deputize Wanyonyi.
Other sources also claim that Igathe is tipped to replace Joshua Oigara as KCB CEO.
Former Jubilee Party Secretary General Raphael Tuju has been unveiled as the Executive Director of the Azimio la Umoja secretariat.
His appointment was announced on Wednesday, April 6, by the former prime minister Raila Odinga who is Azimio’s Presidential flag bearer.
Tuju’s new role will be to coordinate Azimo coalition parties and also to lead the strategic and program teams to ensure the coalition led and financed by President Uhuru Kenyatta win the August 9 General Election with Odinga as the president.
“….Hon Tuju has decades of experience in politics and government, having served as Member of Parliament, Cabinet Minister and Jubilee Party Secretary General,” a statement by Raila Odinga’s team read in part.
Tuju who is a former Rarieda MP and Cabinet Secretary without portfolio stepped down from his role at Jubilee SG in February to seek an elective position but has ended up as Odinga’s subordinate.
But he has not declared the exact elective seat he is interest in and where he is going to vie. Tuju had a stunning record in his one term as Rarieda Mp but lost the seat after falling out with Odinga in the run up to 2007 elections.
The former MP made the declaration during the Jubilee’s National Delegates Convention (NDC) meeting held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Nairobi, on February 26.
Tuju was replaced by Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni in the same meeting where President Uhuru Kenyatta pleaded with Odinga to give the former SG political support to prevail in the coming elections.
Uhuru is the leader of Jubilee party which is one of the founding members of the Azimio la Umoja coalition that has the settled on Odinga as its presidential candidate.
Tuju and Odinga have not been seeing eye to eye since they fell out in 2005 when they both served as Cabinet Ministers in President Mwai Kibaki’s government.
Raila Odinga who served as the Roads minister then claimed that Tuju would not have made it to Parliament without his support.
They the remained arch-rivals but tensions between them eased when Odinga and President Kenyatta made peace through the infamous handshake in March 2018.
Wiper Democratic Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has revealed that he wants to be handed the Deputy President’s position in Azimio La Umoja coalition which has settled on Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga as it’s presidential flag bearer.
The former vice-president whose position as the Ukambani political kingpin is under threat also claimed that he is ready to forfeit that position and settle for a lesser one so longs as his community gets a third of the plum positions in Raila administration but they are still arguing over power sharing.
“We want to ensure that the Kamba community gets the respect it deserves,” Kalonzo to Musyi FM.
The Wiper leader also faulted Mr Odinga’s campaign as he clarified that Wiper had joined Azimio la Umoja coalition as a party and not as a member of the defunct One Kenya Alliance.
He further stated that he is among the top three leaders and a key decision-maker in Azimio coalition, whose other member is President Uhuru Kenyatta of the Jubilee Party.
“OKA shall be at the ballot because we have created a coalition agreement modelled around the three-legged stool known as Azimio-One Kenya Alliance,” he added.
Members of Odinga’s party have repeatedly denied that they signed a deal with OKA as a coalition but individual parties from OKA including KANU led by Senator Gideon Moi and Kalonzo’s Wiper despite the former VP insisting on a Azimio -OKA coalition to deal with political betrayal.
“The three-legged stool arrangement is designed to rule out betrayal. We have left an exit route. Once talks on the Azimio-OKA power-sharing matrix begin, you will hear me insist that nothing is agreed until it is agreed so that no one will betray us again.” Kalonzo said.
Kalonzo who shelved his presidential ambitions to back Odinga for third straight time also clarified on the intrigues that surrounded the signing of the grand coalition deal on Saturday. He lamented that President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga kept him waiting at State House for more than three hours.
He also accused Ukambani governors who are supporting Odinga of working on sinister deals to block him from becoming Odinga’s running mate, a position that has also attracted the attention of Mt Kenya region.
Kalonzo alsomade it clear that he will never hold joint rallies with governors Charity Ngilu (Kitui), Kivutha Kibwana (Makueni) and Alfred Mutua (Machakos) to market Azimio and Odinga’s presidential bid, insisting that he is still Ukambani’s political kingpin.
As campaigns hit fever pitch with Kenyans expected to elect new leaders in the August 9 general elections, majority of the aspirants still remain a corruption tainted lot which has been the norm in Kenyan politics.
Kenyans have been blamed for their love of electing corrupt leaders then expecting anti-graft agencies to clean up their mess. Going by the history of our politics, some of the individual who will sail through in the August polls are characters whose details of corruption have been given out by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
The vice is blamed on the political capital which is quite high for new entrants or individuals from humble backgrounds but tilting in favor of senior government officials who abuse their powers or network contacts for illegitimate private gain.
Kenyan politicians engage in political corruption through bribery, embezzlement of public funds, influence peddling, cronyism, extortion, patronage, parochialism and nepotism among others.
Criminals who have looted from public coffers always line up for elective positions in every election cycle and get elected as aspirants with integrity are rejected at the ballot.
But the voters or citizens who bear the biggest responsibilities in the democratic system have neglected their duties to elect good leaders and keep checks and balances once they ascend to office.
The role of a citizen in any democratic space goes beyond voting but to also keeping an eye at the national policies being implemented by the people they elect into public offices and raising their voice for or against policies that might hurt national cause.
Politician have instead learnt the art of corrupting this role by bribing voters with proceeds of corruption to turn a blind eye on their failures, tainted records and zero legacies as they seek or occupy public offices.
Some politicians also ride on the fact that a majority of voters are totally uninformed on their obligations in electoral process. This lack of information is partly blamed on the lack of proper civic education which favors political elites who are fond of corruption.
But proper civic education remains one sure method of making citizens understand their need to keep oversight on government policies before, during and after electoral process.
Lobby groups also need to keep constant pressure on the government and other relevant bodies to act rationally and concentrate on weeding out fundamental evils from the society.
But most importantly, citizens must understand their duties and responsibilities to fasten the move towards realizing a corrupt free, honest and dedicated leadership that can change the course of Kenyan history.
Cyprine Omogi is a Kenyan Education Officer who is also passion about good governance and realization of a graft free society.
