Why political camps are suddenly competing for Kalonzo's attention

There is a competition of sorts for Kalonzo Musyoka. Everybody seems be hunting for a piece of one of Kenya’s most enduring politician. This competition has fueled all manner of reports of where the Wiper Patriotic Front party leader is planning to be.  

This week, the country has been treated to reports that Musyoka is the joint opposition’s presidential candidate for 2027 general election and that the government is wooing him to join the Kenya Kwanza administration in a move to  break the Opposition.

For a leader who has been demonized, lionised, toasted and celebrated at the same time by different people, political analysts believe the government’s secret card could be to use Kalonzo’s name to scuttle the Opposition.

Pundits believe the government may embark on a strategy to lionize Kalonzo as the only viable opposition leader to vie for presidency which may end up splitting his colleagues in a strategy akin to 1992 general elections between Kenneth Matiba and Mwai Kibaki against the country’s second president Daniel Moi.

Referring to the 1992 general elections where the government inner circle crafted  a strategy to ensure that the government defeated its the opposition, Herman Manyoraa political analyst, believes this is the only playbook Ruto remains with to retain power in 2027.

Intelligence officers

“World over, the unpopular governments identify and target specific individuals or factions within the opposition, plant seeds of discord while coming up with proliferation of fake news and propaganda to divide the Opposition,” he said.

During the 1992 election, Lee Njiru, a former press secretary of the then president, disclosed in his book how intelligence officers’ intervention helped the government to retain power after successfully splitting Mwai Kibaki and Kenneth Matiba.

The plan saw millions of shillings being pumped into the project to make Matiba believe that he was the right candidate for the Opposition even without his knowledge.

Government procured posters, youths were hired to supply the posters across the country and artists were paid to compose pro Matiba songs to ensure that everyone was aware that Matiba, who was in London at that time, was vying for the presidency.

When Matiba returned to the country, the team hired buses and ferried ‘friendly’ Rift Valley people to welcome him by singing and praising him, which created an illusion that the Rift Valley region was supporting his presidential bid. This led to a fallout between Kibaki and Matiba  and they  independently joined the presidential race,” noted Njiru.

Such a strategy was replicated in Western where the late Martin Shikuku was allegedly paid to convince other parliamentary aspirants to join Matiba’s party; FORD-Asili, and after some politicians joined, they were financed to run for their positions in a further strategy to divide the Western region vote.

As a result, Moi won with 1,962,866 votes followed by Matiba, who got 1,404,266.  Kibaki came third with 1,050,617 while the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga came fourth with 944,197.

Manyora says even in established parties in the United Kingdom and The United States, such strategies have been used by the government to penetrate the Opposition and have their way.

“It also happened during US President Donald Trump’s impeachment in 2021 when Republican senators were being wooed by the Democrats. So Ruto can’t survive in this game unless he penetrates the Opposition and divides them,” he said.

Kalonzo and his allies have confirmed to The Standard that emissaries have been sent to him to join the Kenya Kwanza government with the promise of being given the running mate position. They say Kalonzo has declined. 

Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo told The Standard on Friday that there have been efforts by the government to reach out to Kalonzo to woo him to join the government, overtures, he said, they have turned down.

“They have tried using Raila to reach out to Kalonzo but we have remained steadfast that we shall remain with the people to the end. In fact, the Ruto-Raila union is more likely to split than ours,” Maanzo said.

On his part, Kalonzo maintained that he would not abandon the people to join the Ruto regime which he accused of orchestrating extra judicial killings and police brutality. Kalonzo says he and his opposition colleagues will soon be back to the Registrar of Political Parties to register a coalition.

“We shall remain true to the people and we shall never join the criminal regime. It will remain just their wish for me to join the government because I am focused on the bigger picture of rescuing this country from the rogue regime,” he said.

Some of the government officials led by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Ruto’s personal aide Farouk Kibet and Cabinet Secretary for Energy Opiyo Wandayi have in the recent past exuded confidence that Kalonzo would join the government and work with Ruto.

“I am confident that going forward, Kalonzo will soon join Raila and President Ruto in steering the country forward. Having worked with Dr Musyoka in NADCO, I am more than persuaded that his contribution to the government would be crucial,”  Wandayi said during the launch of the Rural Electrification Programme in Kitui.