By BOB ODALO bodalo@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Saturday, February 25 2012 at 20:53
Posted Saturday, February 25 2012 at 20:53
After fighting successfully to regain his position in the G7 alliance, Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka faces a new challenge within his Wiper Democratic Party.
He must win back the party secretary-general Mutula Kilonzo and reassure one of his closest allies Kangundo MP Johnston Muthama that the move adds value to the Wiper campaign.
Mr Musyoka and Mr Kilonzo don’t appear to have mended fences after the dust settled after the furore caused by the Uhuru/Ruto camps in openly shunning the VP.
Mr Kilonzo was conspicuously absent during the Wiper Democratic Party governing council meeting chaired by the VP, and which was called to review Mr Musyoka’s role in the G7 alliance. (READ: Mutula’s unenviable responsibility)
The council said the VP would continue to associate with the alliance.
All through, critics have said in thinly veiled statements that Mr Kilonzo was simply reading a hostile script prepared by the VP on his tough position regarding his association with Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto.
Meeting a group of journalists from Lower Eastern region in his office on Thursday, Mr Musyoka denied that he was behind Mr Kilonzo’s firm stand that the two can’t seek public office until they are cleared of crimes against humanity charges at the International Criminal Court.
Mr Musyoka told journalists that both Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto should be allowed to vie for the presidency in the next General Election.
Close associates of the VP and the Justice minister told the Sunday Nation that the stand taken by Mr Kilonzo has widened the gap between the two leaders.
Mr Muthama, who is the government co-chief whip was dismayed after MPs allied to the G7 leaders openly accused him of shedding crocodile tears in matters involving the ICC suspects.
Speaking to the Sunday Nation at his home near Machakos town last week, Mr Muthama was disappointed by the tempest stirred up by his remarks at a G7 rally in the town a fortnight ago.
He said the biggest leadership crisis facing the country today was dishonesty among political leaders.
“Lack of trust and backbiting is killing Kenyan politics,” he said. “Leaders should stop this assumption that huge votes from a particular region can easily help them produce a president.
“We see it in ODM where a Deputy Prime Minister is being told to step down for (Prime Minister) Raila Odinga. We are seeing the same thing in the G7 alliance. It’s all hypocrisy.”
Mr Muthama said he is not interested in tribal politics and told the VP not to seek or accept favours from any quarters.
“I don’t like this talk that one should step down on behalf of another person. I also don’t like this thinking of three or five people meeting and then imposing a leader on 40 million Kenyans,” he said.
Mr Kilonzo and Mr Muthama played vital roles in the VP’s 2007 campaign for the presidency.
Mr Kilonzo donated his house in Hurlingham to ODM-K, which was used as the headquarters of the party’s secretariat for five years.
Soon after the contested 2007 election results, it was Mr Kilonzo who led negotiations with President Kibaki’s team to discuss the formation of an alliance between PNU and ODM-K.
Kibwezi MP Philip Kaloki has advised his colleagues in the Wiper party to focus more on the socio-economic issues that affect the country.
“If you ask me, I will say most of the rallies going on in the country are dwelling a lot on political rhetoric and sentiments laden with hatred.
“This is not the way to go, and I am appealing to the VP to take a step ahead and tackle these challenges in his forum,” said Prof Kaloki.
“Kalonzo needs Kilonzo and Muthama. I don’t see him abandoning them now,” said a former Machakos councillor Davies Musau.
The two have told the VP to chart his own path as the comments of some leaders in the G 7 after the Machakos rally speak volumes about how they view him.Machakos Youth leaders argue that the VP should instead ditch the G7 and let Mr Kilonzo do his job.
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