Kalonzo Musyoka has reaffirmed his intention to run for the presidency in 2027, expressing confidence in his ability to challenge President William Ruto.
During a roundtable talk show with local radio stations on Thursday, February 6, 2025, Kalonzo dismissed the long-standing “watermelon” label associated with his political stance, emphasizing that he has evolved as a leader.
“Do you hear anyone talking about ‘watermelon’ these days unless it’s Ruto? People now recognize who the real ‘watermelon’ is, my friend. Let’s stop dwelling on the past. This is a new Kalonzo Musyoka, fully prepared to lead Kenya,” he stated.
The former Vice President also refuted claims that his 2007 presidential bid cost Raila Odinga a victory against Mwai Kibaki. He questioned the assumption that Raila would have won if he had stepped aside, arguing that no one could predict election outcomes with certainty.
“Who held a meeting with God to guarantee Raila’s victory in 2007 if I hadn’t run?” he asked.
Kalonzo asserted that running for office was his constitutional right, noting that in 2007, he was part of ODM-Kenya during the formation of the Orange Movement coalition. He explained that when the movement split, Raila took one faction while he took the other, defending his decision to pursue his political ambitions.
He dismissed criticisms aimed at his past political choices, making it clear that no one has the right to dictate his decisions.
“Nobody has any right to blame. Sasa wengine wanasema ooh eti huyu hatasimama. Sasa nikisimama watasema ooh ameharibia mtu. Basi kiumane, sasa nitasimama ambaye anataka kusema nitamwaribia tukutane uko,” Kalonzo declared.
(Some say I won’t run, and if I do, they’ll claim I’m interfering. Let’s meet on the ballot and settle it)
In addition to his presidential ambitions, Kalonzo criticized the Executive for allegedly undermining the independence of other arms of government. He pointed out that Raila Odinga had previously accused the Executive of capturing Parliament and the Judiciary before aligning with Ruto.
“Even Raila himself, before siding with Ruto, used to say Parliament had been captured. The Judiciary was also under Executive control. Now, even the Executive is capturing itself,” he remarked.
Kalonzo also raised concerns over the treatment of public officials like Justin Muturi, arguing that the lack of independence in the legal system is evident.
“Look at how ministers like Justin Muturi face backlash and job threats for speaking out. These are strange occurrences that show a lack of fairness and integrity in our legal processes,” he added.
