A section of President William Ruto’s allies has intensified calls on Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka to cut ties with his Democracy for the Citizens counterpart, Rigathi Gachagua, and instead join President Ruto ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The team, led by President Ruto’s aide Farouk Kibet and MPs Japheth Nyakundi (Kitutu Chache North), Mwengi Mutuse (Kibwezi West), Mishi Mboko (Likoni), Emmanuel Wangwe (Navakholo), Vincent Musyoka (Mwala), Geoffrey Mulanya (Nambale), and Innocent Mugambe (Likuyani), argues that Mr Musyoka stands no chance of being the United Opposition presidential candidate in the 2027 General Election.
Citing Mr Gachagua’s remarks in a recent media interview, they alleged a plan by a section of the United Opposition to edge out Mr Musyoka from the opposition presidential candidate selection.
“Mr Gachagua says the opposition will consider the clout and war chest of the opposition luminaries rather than their age and experience when selecting a presidential candidate. This is designed to lock out Mr Musyoka from the opposition presidential candidate selection,” Mr Mutuse said.
“Our brother Kalonzo should learn to be visionary. Join us; we work together before President Ruto closes his door. These people betrayed you during Mwai Kibaki’s succession. You were number two to President Kibaki. He had promised to support you to take over from him. They betrayed you. They are planning to betray you again,” he told a rally addressed by the team of President Ruto’s allies at Athi Kiaoni Township on the border of Kitui and Makueni counties.
They opened Kiaoni Police Station, a project funded by the Kibwezi West National Government Constituency Development Fund, before the rally on Thursday.
Mr Nyakundi led the team in characterising Mr Gachagua as a selfish tribal bigot with no interest in the country at heart.
“The biggest accident which can happen to this country is when we decide to bring that tribal man close to the leadership of this country,” Mr Nyakundi said after strongly condemning Mr Gachagua’s recent call on tourists to suspend their trips to the country. “In 2022, the country collected 1.2 billion dollars from the tourism sector. That amount grew to 2.3 billion dollars last year. Yet someone calls on tourists to boycott Kenya,” he added.
Mr Kibet said Mr Gachagua was a blot on Mr Musyoka.
“Mr Gachagua will eventually finish Kalonzo. Before that happens, Kalonzo should team up with President Ruto so that they form the next government to unlock development in the Ukambani region,” he said.
The calls have come as pressure mounts on the opposition to pick a presidential candidate. Jubilee presidential candidate Fred Matiang’i and People Liberation Party leader Martha Karua have called for a scientific method of selecting a joint presidential candidate, as Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua led allies of Mr Musyoka in piling pressure on the opposition group to settle on the former vice president without further delay. They say he is the most suitable.
Mr Gachagua has set tongues wagging after insisting that the opposition will unveil a joint presidential candidate sometime next year, ostensibly to prevent a situation in which President Ruto takes advantage of a possible fallout in the opposition.
“You should challenge Gachagua to name Kalonzo the opposition presidential candidate without much ado if he means well for the Ukambani region. He should stop taking him round in circles,” Mr Kibet said.
While exuding confidence in President Ruto’s re-election, the MPs created the impression that the Mount Kenya voting bloc, which Mr Gachagua has claimed control over, was irrelevant.
“The late Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga won the 2007 General Election without the backing of the Mount Kenya voting bloc. His victory was stolen. We are not worried,” Ms Mboko said.
