Kalonzo on the horns of double dilemma – Weekly Citizen

Wiper Democratic Movement remains the party of choice in lower Eastern as the countdown to 2022 general elections gathers momentum. Its undisputed leader, Kalonzo Mosyoka, is still the reigning political kingpin of the area.
Still, two key factors continue to trouble the 12-year-old party and its rank and file: How to maintain its political dominance in a restless region, and two, the political camp to align with between president Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga handshake and William Ruto’s Tanga Tanga.
The first dilemma has to do with how to balance between competing interests and ambitions within and outside the party. Influential and fiery ambitious personalities are lining up various county positions on the Wiper party docket, putting Kalonzo at crossroads on who to reward and who not to.

Mutula Kilonzo Jr

In Makueni county for instance, the gubernatorial seat is being eyed by the current senator, Mutula Kilonzo Junior, Kibwezi West MP Patrick Musimba and wealth real estate guru Loyd Masika among others.
Initially, the seat had almost been reserved for Mutula. But beginning early last year, rumours started doing rounds that Musimba, who has now served Kibwezi West twice as an independent candidate was eyeing the seat on the Wiper ticket. By early this year that rumour had been confirmed, with sources within the Musimba camp bragging that the Wiper ticket was under their lock and key.
This has sent shivers and jitters down the spine of Mutula camp, which is reading betrayal by a party they have served faithfully. Indeed, it will be remembered that it is the late Mutula Senior who even coined and popularised “Wiper” in the the ODM-K party, a slogan the party would adopt as its name.

Kibwezi West MP Patrick Musimba

The clash between Junior and Musimba will even be more interesting, with Junior threatening to ditch the party should he find himself pushed to wall, rather than drop his ambition to succeed Kivutha Kibwana as Makueni’s overall boss. This comes as the Musimba camp increasingly gloats about an alleged deal between him and the party leader to hand Musimba the party ticket unopposed.
For those familiar with Musimba’s modus operandi, there is a reason to believe this narrative. An extremely smooth operator and self assured, Musimba is ruthless go-getter who leaves nothing to chance as attested by his successive victory in Kibwezi West against seasoned and battle hardened political titans like former area MP, Kalembe Ndile.
One of the most perplexing aspects of Musimba is that he makes it even without the advantage of being able to speak Kikamba language in a rural constituency. Attempts to decampaign him as a “foreigner” (his mother is a Luhya from Bungoma) have miserably failed ever since he joined politics in 2007.

Wavinya Ndeti

It is in Machakos county where Kalonzo and his party perhaps face the most interesting times ahead of 2022. Wavinya Ndeti, Johnson Muthama, Mavoko MP Patrick Makau, Kathiani MP Mbui, Yatta MP Charles Kilonzo and Machakos county assembly speaker Florence Mwangangi are said to be keenly expecting to secure the Wiper ticket. All these are close Kalonzo allies, and all eyes will be on the Wiper leader as we approach 2022.

Kitui County Governor Charity Ngilu.

In Kitui county, the battle to dethrone Governor Charity Ngilu on the Wiper ticket is likely to narrow down to Kenya’s High Commissioner in Uganda and former Mutitu MP Kiema Kilonzo, former governor, Julius Malombe and Mwingi Central MP Gideon Mulyungi. The three are said to be leaving nothing to chance in pursuit of the Wiper ticket.
With Uhuru set to retire at the end of his second term, his deputy’s rich fishing waters will be Ukambani, where he has invested his energy and resources since 2013. The three Jubilee MPs from the region, Rachael Nyamai (Kitui South), Victor Munyaka (Machakos Town) and Nimrod Mbai ( Kitui East) are believed to Ruto’s projects.

Former Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama

This applies to the likes immediate former MPs Kisoi Munyao (Mbooni) Joe Mutambu (Kitui Central), and Katemi Makenga (Kaiti). Ruto is keen on building on this achievement to build a political groundswell in the region
What will make the political field even more slippery for Wiper and its leadership is the ongoing clamour by Uhuru and Raila to have the constitution changed to accommodate more tribal “warlords” in government.
Should this come to pass, Kalonzo will be torn between running for president and aligning himself with what he perceives as the winning team. Running for president means, among other options, teaming up with Ruto and perhaps Musalia Mudavadi who has already voiced his antipathy for the changes, to oppose constitutional change. One of the troubles here lies in settling on a flag bearer, which has a direct bearing on whether Kalonzo will maintain his hold on his party and support or not.
Should Kalonzo choose to flow with the Uhuru-Raila current, he will have to accept one of the deputies’ positions on offer by the two principals and owners of the change-the-constitution project. Again, this will be a make or break for Kalonzo and Wiper.