Kamba lawmakers threaten to abandon Kalonzo if he backs Raila
Allies of Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka have threatened to abandon him if he supports ODM counterpart Raila Odinga for president in next year’s elections.
Lifting the lid on behind-the- scenes manoeuvres and speculations that the two leaders could be plotting a re-union ahead of 2022, Wiper MPs warned Kalonzo against any plans to support Raila, saying he would be a lonely man in such a journey.
“Should our party leader ever make the decision to support Rt. Hon Raila Amolo Odinga for presidency, we respectfully assure him of two very painful outcomes, he walks that journey alone, the Kamba nation and the millions of his supporters across the country will never forgive him,” they said in a strongly worded statement read at Parliament Buildings by Kitui Senator Enock Wambua.
They were led by Wambua, MPs Irene Kasalu (Kitui Woman Rep), Dan Maanzo (Makueni), Makai Mulu (Kitui Central), Edith Nyenze (Kitui West) and Danson Mwashako (Wundanyi).
Speculations come just a day after Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi, a principal in One Kenya Alliance, alongside Kalonzo and two others gave the strongest possible indication that he may go looking for a running mate from the Central Kenya region in his quest for the country’s top seat in 2022.
Other principals are Kanu’s Gideon Moi and Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetangula. But in what could signal the start of the disintegration of OKA, People Daily has established that Gideon will be formally announcing his exit from the coalition and launch a lone stab at the presidency.
“We have told him to go for the top seat. He has what it takes to be president.
We want him to make that formal announcement, we hit the road running. Our friends from OKA have the option of joining,” a first term legislator and a close ally of Gideon said.
Yesterday, Kalonzo’s lieutenants refuted claims of collapse of OKA and that their party leader was in talks with Raila.
According Senator Wambua, their people had sent them to “put to rest “ what he termed as wild speculations that their party leader was considering deputising Raila again in 2022.
“What we are saying is that our people are saying that Kalonzo cannot support Raila again. We can support any other person within OKA but not Raila,” Wambua said.
On June 21, without mincing words, Kalonzo said he would be “the most stupid person on earth” to endorse Raila, who was his co-principal in NASA, for the third consecutive time.