Last Saturday’s political partnership between Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Azimio la Umoja flagbearer Raila Odinga, which was formed after protracted talks, appears to be on shaky foundation. It was obvious when he (Kalonzo) said ‘Raila Tosha,’ that he wanted to create a Eureka moment. Musyoka is doing it in the same way that Mr Odinga did two decades ago when he endorsed Mr Mwai Kibaki in Uhuru Park.
After just a week, the camaraderie that was displayed in front of thousands of ecstatic supporters at Jacaranda grounds on March 12 and millions more watching at home appears to have vanished. Musyoka’s actions have produced more questions than answers a week later.
Mistrust, distrust, and a quiet conflict in Ukambani between Mr Musyoka and governors Alfred Mutua (Machakos), Charity Ngilu (Kitui), and Prof Kivutha Kibwana (Makueni) have supporters stumped.
Mr Odinga and Musyoka were on the same campaign team in the 2013 and 2017 elections, and have promised to do so again as Mr Odinga seeks the president for the fifth time.
They put pen to paper after months of grandstanding to herald the start of a grand coalition, with the Jubilee Party, the Orange Democratic Movement, and the OKA as the primary actors. Mr Musyoka began to scrutinize the details on the dotted lines even before the ink on the political pact had dry.
Musyoka asked his followers to vote in more Wiper candidates to give him the right to remove Mr Odinga “should he fail to honour the arrangement,” while speaking to mourners in Kalumoni, Machakos. He did not, however, go into detail about the Saturday bargain that saw him abandon his presidential ambitions.
Musyoka’s comments fueled claims that he is rocking Mr Odinga’s boat from within and perplexing the Kamba community, where he has a cult-like following. Azimio is tense as a result of this.
Content created and supplied by: OkumuJT (via Opera
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