Kibwana denies asking Kalonzo to ditch Cord and join Jubilee

Deputy President William Ruto (centre) chats with Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana (right) and his deputy Adelina Mwau during the commissioning of an agriculture incubation centre at Utafiti Primary School in Kibwezi on October 4, 2016. Prof Kibwana has refuted media reports that he was among leaders who asked Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka to ditch Cord and join Jubilee Party. PHOTO | PIUS MAUNDU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Kibwana, however, said that Mr Ruto did nothing wrong by campaigning in the area.
  • He added that he looks forward to a tour by President Uhuru Kenyatta in Ukambani.
  • He said Kalonzo “had not as yet told us what other options he had in mind and we could not second-guess him.”
  • During the Tuesday event, Mr Ruto wooed the Kamba people to back the President Kenyatta’s administration.

Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana has blamed Deputy President William Ruto’s handlers for associating him with reports by some Ukambani leaders asking Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka to ditch the opposition Cord and join Jubilee Party.

A press release by the Deputy Presidential Press Service (DPPS) on Tuesday and published Wednesday in the Daily Nation quoted Prof Kibwana as having told a rally at Kibwezi that the Kamba people were ready to negotiate with the Jubilee Party ahead of the 2017 elections.

The story alleged that Prof Kibwana had told the rally that was attended by Mr Ruto that the Kamba will no longer accept to be in the opposition after the next elections.

In statement to journalists, Prof Kibwana said that Mr Ruto’s handlers misquoted him at the Kibwezi rally since “they were eager to show that another catch had fallen into the Jubilee net.”

OPTIONS

He said that while he had read in the media that Mr Musyoka was mulling exploring other options, he “had not as yet told us what other options he had in mind and we could not second-guess him.”

He went on: “The leadership of [the] Kamba community, to my knowledge, has not met to develop consensus on joining Jubilee Party.”

“So I could not, and I did not say that the Kamba community is gearing to negotiate with the Jubilee Party,” said Governor Kibwana.

However, he said that Mr Ruto did nothing wrong by campaigning in the area adding that he looked forward to a tour by President Uhuru Kenyatta in Ukambani.

During the Tuesday event, Mr Ruto wooed the Kamba people to back the President Kenyatta’s administration saying that the Jubilee had good plans for Machakos, Makueni and Kitui counties.

Speaking at Utafiti Primary School in Kibwezi West Constituency, Mr Ruto cited the proposed Sh54 billion Thwake Multipurpose Dam project by the national government the tarmacking of roads in the region.