Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka speaking during the launch of new DAP- Kenya party headquarters in Karen, Nairobi on January 27th 2025. (Collins Oduor, Standard]
Wiper Democratic Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka boasts over 40 years’ experience in the politics and as the scheming and plotting intensifies, there are questions whether 2027 will be his defining moment or his last stub at the presidency.
The 71 years old politician will most probably be firing his last political bullet in a do or die battle with President William Ruto seeking re-election while Kalonzo will be seeking to actualize his dream of becoming the sixth President having tried to get that position in 2007 unsuccessfully.
Kalonzo feels this is the best time to take over the reins of the country leadership as he is the most experienced political leader in the country at the moment since the days he was a Member of Parliament for Kitui North to Vice President under late President Mwai Kibaki.
“If there is any leader with more experience than me, we can have a discussion The 2027 general election is the best time for me to take over the country leadership to turn it around for the better after which we will hand over leadership of the nation to the young generation when our term ends,” said Kalonzo in an interview with Social Newsroom.
Speaking during an interview with a local channel Kalonzo said that Ruto is mistakenly believing that if former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is out of the local political scene, he will automatically inherit his supporters pointing out that less than 20 percent of Kenyans approve the current administration.
He said that Ruto should be prepared to leave office in 2027 when Kenyans vote him out and should not imagine that the broadbased government that he formed will propel his reelection stating that his administration has failed Kenyans and that time has run out for him to make any amends to regain citizens trust.
Kalonzo said the ODM leaders who joined the broadbased government did it on their own and that none of them will be reelected in 2027. He said that Raila had made it clear that the leaders from his party who joined the government did it on their own.
“The opposition wanted compensation of families that lost their loved ones during the Gen Z protests before Azimio could sit down and agree on how to engage the government, I told Raila that on this matter he had been snookered, this whole thing was a machination by Ruto to create the impression ODM was now in government,” said Kalonzo.
He said an impression been created to insinuate that former President Uhuru Kenyatta had endorsed some individuals to join Cabinet which was not the case pointing out that Raila had wanted a national convention after the Gen Z protests with individuals joining government after consultation with Azimio giving its list as Ruto names his side to.
Kalonzo pointed out that Azimio La Umoja is actually spent force and that they will need to come up with a new coalition for the 2027 since he cannot rely on a limping organization
He observed that he does not see how Raila will lose African Union Commission Chairperson position and come back wanting to lead Azimio stating that if he wins it will be good for the country. According to Kalonzo, in the event that he loses, Raila should honourably retire and join Uhuru in becoming elder statesmen.
“When the broad based government was formed I told Raila that this will work against his legacy and with this being a misstep in his political career asking him to look at ways of redeeming his image among Kenyans who had very high expectations in him but were now disillusioned after the doyen of the opposition politics appeared to work with government,” said Kalonzo.
He said that a loyal opposition will not allow the takeover of a strategic national asset like the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport when it takes over government stating that was the reason as to why he opposed the Adani deal which was later cancelled by Ruto most probably after getting new information from the United States of America.
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Kalonzo said that he was aware that Raila is beholden to Ruto due to the support he needs from government for his AUC Chairmanship bid otherwise he could have endorsed him as the Azimio leader. He said this was the reason former Prime Minister has never said that Kalonzo should take over the leadership of Azimio.
“I have always told Raila things that nobody else can tell him. I told him his legacy is at stake and he has to do something to redeem it, the same way he has told me things that nobody else has told me generally we have enjoyed a good relationship, we have no major differences,” said Kalonzo.
He said that he will forever be indebted to Uhuru who recently told him that the problem with him is that he is too trusting which has led to him being played, even after being Raila’s running mate in 2013 and 2017.
“My word has always been my bond, but I know Kenyans have seen me as being selfless. I do not know how to betray my friends, I just do what I feel is right and good for the country which in most occasions works to my disadvantage. I took my interview for Azimio running mate position in 2022 in my stride despite holding the position in 2013 and 2017,” said Kalonzo.
He recalls hosting Uhuru, Ruto and Wanjigi at his home in 2012 when they had G7 where they came to persuade him not to vie in 2013 so that they could make him Speaker for the National Assembly. He felt slighted because at the time he was Vice President and bluntly opted out of their coalition.
Kalonzo said that Raila would visit him later in the company of former Machakos Senator Johnston Muthama and former Kitui Senator David Musila where they asked him if there is anything that Raila had done that could make them not work together stating that the only time Raila irked him is when he was leading in opinion polls but Raila jokingly dismissed them as not being a beauty contest.
He said that he does not believe in being endorsed for 2027 general election arguing that Kenyans are tired of the ‘Tosha’ business but leaders proving that they deserve whatever position they seek believing that the experience he has gained in public service for the last 40 years puts him to be first among equals.
“I do not have bad blood with my brother Muthama who was made UDA Chairman before being dropped later with some people believing that by doing that they will have finished me politically, there were those who believed that he was my financier but now the story is different, he is my brother and he can come back to me at any time,” said Kalonzo.
