Makau Mutua urges Kibwana to stop his attacks on Kalonzo
By Wycliffe Nyamasege, January 16, 2023
Lawyer Makau Mutua has called on former Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana to stop his attacks on Wiper leader and Ukambani kingpin Kalonzo Musyoka.
Kibwana has in recent months renewed his rivalry with the former Vice President who he accuses of holding the Kamba community at ransom.
But in a tweet on Monday, January 16, Mutua faulted Kibwana’s outburst, saying the community is “exercising free agency” by being loyal to Kalonzo.
Mutua, who served as the spokesperson of the Raila Odinga presidential campaign team in the August 2022 polls, suggested that Kalonzo’s followers in the Eastern region follow the Wiper boss because either they believe in his leadership or they don’t have an alternative.
“I urge my one-time teacher @ProfKibwana to SHEATHE his sword against @skmusyoka. If large swaths of Akamba follow SKM, it’s either because they like him, he’s a good salesman, they’ve no alternative, or they’ve chosen ethnic politics. But the Akamba are exercising free agency,” Mutua said in a tweet.
I urge my one-time teacher @ProfKibwana to SHEATHE his sword against @skmusyoka. If large swaths of Akamba follow SKM, it’s either because they like him, he’s a good salesman, they’ve no alternative, or they’ve chosen ethnic politics. But the Akamba are exercising free agency.
— Prof Makau Mutua (@makaumutua) January 16, 2023
Earlier, Kibwana slammed Kalonzo after the latter asked for prayers to help him (Kalonzo) get out of a political prison he claims he is in.
Kibwana said: “Which prison @skmusyoka? I pray daily so that you may release the Kamba Nation from the real PRISON of drought, perennial famines, poverty and underdevelopment. I too pray that the Kamba may know you have confined them behind bars from Yatta & Tseikuru.”
Speaking during the thanksgiving ceremony of Kiambu University and College Students Association (KUSCO) in Thika, Kiambu, Kalonzo said he is in a “prison” because he has been out of government for more than a decade.
“I have lived through three rigged elections in 2013, 2017, and 2022.
“The Apostles who are here and Kenyans in general, please pray for me to get out of this prison,” Kalonzo, who supported Raila’s failed presidential bid in the last election, pleaded.
Early this month, Kibwana urged Kalonzo to suspend his membership in Azimio.
Kibwana called on Kalonzo to think about his stay in Azimio while reacting to a newspaper piece where the Wiper leader asked President William Ruto to notify him while visiting Machakos.
“I hear William Ruto is coming to Machakos tomorrow, he should be told it’s so disrespectful to visit one’s homestead without the owner’s consent,” Kalonzo was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
Reacting to Kalonzo’s sentiments as quoted by the paper, Kibwana said Kalonzo should suspend his membership in Azimio and consult his community on his new political move.
The former Makueni governor claimed that Raila was not about to retire from politics.
Kibwana quit Azimio in August 2022 just after the General Election and vowed to work with Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza team.
The former Makueni governor aligned himself with Kenya Kwanza even before Ruto was sworn in as president.
He joined the coalition’s legal team on the presidential petition.
“We associate with the leadership that governor Kibwana has manifested in agreeing to work with us in furthering our country’s development agenda. The Makueni Governor will join the Kenya Kwanza legal team in the ongoing presidential election petition,” Ruto stated when Kibwana joined Kenya Kwanza on August 23, 2022.