Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka peruses the 2017 agreement with ODM leader Raila Odinga at his SKM Command Centre in Nairobi on March 1, 2022 before addressing the media.
| PoolPolitics
Premium
Kalonzo’s U-turns: Inside the mind of a fence-sitting, dilly-dallying politician
What you need to know:
- Following the collapse of Nasa, the former Vice President has been sending mixed signals to his supporters.
- The Wiper leader was Mr Odinga’s running mate in 2013 and 2017, but the two appear to be pulling in opposite directions.
The Uhuru Kenyatta succession has exposed Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka as a fence-sitting, flip-flopping politician who contradicts himself so much that he often leaves his followers lost at the seams.
Following the collapse of the National Super Alliance (Nasa), the former Vice President has been sending mixed signals to his supporters.
As the One Kenya Alliance (OKA) considers a coalition pact with Azimio la Umoja, which is led by Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga, Mr Musyoka is still dilly-dallying on the role he will play in the grand team.
The Wiper leader was Mr Odinga’s running mate in 2013 and 2017, but the two appear to be pulling in opposite directions even as their allies continue with coalition talks behind the scenes.
If successful, the Azimio-OKA mega alliance is expected to slug it out with Kenya Kwanza Alliance of Deputy President William Ruto, Amani National Congress’ Musalia Mudavadi and Ford-Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula.
On June 16 last year, Mr Musyoka said supporting Mr Odinga’s presidential bid for the third successive time would “amount to being stupid”.
“It is unthinkable that I would support Mr Odinga for the third time. I would be the most stupid fellow on earth to support the same presidential candidate without a measure of reciprocity,” he told NTV then.
While on a tour of Bungoma with then-OKA allies, Mr Mudavadi and Mr Wetang’ula, on November 26 last year, Mr Musyoka had vowed that their alliance would field a presidential candidate.
“There’s no turning back in our mission. We cannot be intimidated or coerced. We have also tasted vote-rigging,” he said.
After ANC and Ford-Kenya bolted out to work with Dr Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in January, Mr Musyoka dismissed claims that OKA was dead.
“No one should say there are only two horses in the competition. We have a lot of people; some are still in the process of joining Oka. In the next six weeks, we shall show Kenyans the way forward,” Mr Musyoka told supporters in Kerugoya, Kirinyaga County on January 30.
Mr Musyoka remained upbeat and vowed to steer OKA to the ballot.
“Let them go, I’ll soldier on. I won’t be intimidated. It’s obvious some people had put roadblocks on the way, but the path is now clear. It’s straight to State House,” he said on January 24.
The former VP has changed positions a million times within eight months. On Friday, he said OKA had initiated “structured negotiations” with like-minded parties, especially those in Azimio la Umoja.
“We are open to the formation of a grand coalition to be known as the Azimio-One Kenya Alliance,” he said.
“We will be joining Azimio as an equal partner and have a structured coalition agreement that will be deposited with the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties,” he added.
This came just days after it emerged that he had asked President Kenyatta to broker a deal between him and Mr Odinga.
But on Tuesday, the Wiper boss made another U-turn when he issued tough demands. This left analysts wondering what Mr Musyoka is up to.
He insisted that the ODM leader should honour their 2017 agreement to back him for President in 2022.
Mr Musyoka said Mr Odinga should either abide by the terms of what he called a “binding legal agreement” or choose to act in utter defiance.
“As we engage in fresh talks, this document forms the basis for such negotiations,” said Mr Musyoka.
But in an interview with NTV later in the evening, the Wiper boss said he was ready to shelve his presidential ambition for another person if the decision is reached “in structured negotiations”.
“If it comes to that conclusion with all the three pillars, I’ll be happy to support anybody, not necessarily Mr Odinga,” said Mr Musyoka.
One of his allies, Kitui Senator Enock Wambua, said their eye is on the presidency. He urged Mr Odinga to support the Wiper leader, saying his party boss would not step down, having done so in the past two elections.
“Mr Musyoka has whatever it takes to win the presidency of the Republic of Kenya on August 9. He won’t support any other candidate,” he said.
