In a rare and surprising move, Wiper Party vice-chairman Victor Ogeto Swanya has asked his party boss Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka to shelve his presidential ambition and throw his weight behind a candidate from Kisii.

Swanya asserted that this time around, a member of the Kisii community should be in the presidential ballot, right in the kitchen or around a table where the national cake is negotiated and shared.

He noted that for a long time the Kisii community has been supporting candidates from other communities for the seat.

Swanya said the community previously backed Kalonzo for the top seat and that it was high time he reciprocated by supporting a Kisii in the coming elections.

Three leaders from the Kisii community- activist Morara Kebaso, retired Chief Justice David Maraga and former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i have expressed interest or have been mentioned among those who will vie for the presidency in 2027.

Reciprocity

Maraga has come out in public, sought and engaged with his community in consultation and declared that he would be contesting for the presidency while Matiang’i, who is in USA, is using his proxies to do so.

Swanya’s sentiments comes two days after Kalonzo visited Nyamira County to attend a burial ceremony where he asked members of the Kisii community to support his 2027 presidential bid.

Kalonzo was in the company of Swanya, former Borabu MP Ben Momanyi and DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa.

“I am humbly asking and pleading with my party leader Kalonzo to consider supporting either Maraga or Matiang’i for the top seat. We as a community have always supported his candidature but unsuccessfully,” he told People Daily.

He claimed ODM party leader Raila Odinga has always been receiving overwhelming support from the community but after losing and joining the government he ignores the community.

“As a community, we are tired with the Raila’s brand of politics of use and dump. Let him be told that we are wiser now and we can’t allow him to continue misusing us for his political gains and survival anymore,” he added.

He also dismissed the broad-based government by President William Ruto and Raila Odinga terming it as a tribal based government.